Mu Wanyao admitted that she was selfish.
When Liu Wenzhi was deposed, the first thing she thought of was not what to do with Liu Wenzhi himself, but what to do with Chunhua.
She was startled and her first thought was: Chunhua must not know about this.
The fetus in Chunhua's belly must not be affected, Chunhua herself must not be affected, and especially the Prince Jin's Mansion must not become a variable because of this.
The second thought was: I can’t let Yan Shang know.
First, it will affect Yan Shang's current exam system; second,...
Second, in the incident caused by Chunhua last time, she asked Yan Shang to mediate the conflict. Yan Shang directly shot the head of Zheng family to death with an arrow. From then on, the vigorous rule of the powerful began, which dragged everyone down.
From that incident, Mu Wanyao was really afraid of Yan Shang, afraid that he would cause her bigger trouble.
After this happened, Mu Wanyao closed his eyes and thought for two breaths, then decided to take action to solve the matter.
She said coldly, "Take my fish talisman and send someone to Beili first to find the woman that Liu Wenji is protecting. Beware that she might escape from the city in the middle of the night."
"Before I go over, interrogate her first to see if someone instructed her to do this. Is it someone taking advantage of her or is it just a coincidence? Find out for me first!
"Also, who crippled Liu Wenji? No matter if they can be moved or not, as long as they are still in Beili, put them in a sack and beat them up, and cripple those who did it!"
"Where is Liu Wenji! Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician! Go to the palace and find the Imperial Physician!"
In the middle of the night, all the lights in Princess Danyang's mansion were lit up.
The princess herself dressed in gorgeous clothes and handled the matter personally. The guards also left the palace at the princess's command to carry out the princess's orders.
Mu Wanyao took a deep breath, thinking that she had to resolve the matter before Yan Shang knew about it...or rather, suppress it.
-----
Fang Tong and other guards went to Beili to arrest people, while Mu Wanyao, led by two servants, went to see Liu Wenzhi, who was covered in blood.
The two servants had been hanging around with Liu Wenji for two months and were used to him drinking all day. They were not there when the incident happened tonight, and they were out bickering with other ladies.
When they heard the noise, they rushed over in a hurry, but did not have time to mention Princess Danyang's name to protect Liu Wenzhi. Everything was irreversible.
The two servants turned pale, knowing that it was over. The princess would definitely kill them. In order to atone for their sins, they first took Liu Wenji out of the brothel, knocked on the door at night, and used the power given by the princess to force the door to open and come to the princess's house.
Liu Wenji was arranged to stay in the guest room of the princess's mansion. He wandered outside in the evening, anxious and worried. He finally waited for the imperial physician from the palace to come, and then he finally waited for the imperial physician to come out.
Mu Wanyao looked anxiously at the imperial physician.
The imperial physician shook his head and sighed.
The evening makes my heart feel cold.
The imperial physician always felt awkward when talking about that in front of a princess: "Fortunately, he is still young and he consulted a doctor in time. He can be normal in the future... well, he can go to the toilet without leaking... well. He didn't lose his life because of this. He is still alive. And your highness is here... he can stay in the princess's mansion as a eunuch."
Mu Wan shook her head without a smile on her face.
Of course there was an eunuch in the princess's mansion, and she had made fun of this several times before. However, this eunuch should not be Liu Wenji.
Mu Wanyao pinched his long, pointed fingers into his palms, using the pain to calm himself down.
Mu Wan shook her head and asked the imperial physician: "Is he... awake?"
The imperial physician showed a look of pity: "He has been awake the whole time."
Mu Wan was stunned for a moment.
Question: “From beginning to end?”
Imperial Physician: “Yes.”
Question: “Did he know about the whole process?”
Imperial Physician: “Yes.”
The imperial physician sighed, "I have never seen a young man who was so strong in resisting fainting. His whole body was soaked with sweat, but he still insisted on asking me if he was hopeless. What could I say? I could only answer that everyone has their own destiny. Then his eyes were empty, he stared into the sky in a daze, and stopped talking to me."
Mu Wanyao winked at the maids behind him and asked them to arrange for the imperial physician to stay in the mansion. Perhaps Liu Wenji would need this imperial physician in the next two days.
Thanks to her status as a princess, she was able to invite the imperial physicians to check the emperor's pulse. These imperial physicians were used to seeing people who had been deposed, and they often prescribed medicine for the eunuchs in the palace. They were used to it, so they could handle Liu Wenji's matter calmly.
No matter who knows how to treat a disease, no one can do better than the imperial physician from the palace.
-----
Mu Wanyao lingered outside for another two moments before pushing the door open to visit Liu Wenzhi who was still awake.
Before the princess came in, Liu Wenji supported himself with the help of two servants, changed his clothes, and arranged his appearance. When Mu Wan came in and saw him, he stood up haggardly and saluted her.
Mu Wanyao asked him to lie down and rest. After just a few movements, Liu Wenzhi sat on the bed leaning against the pillow. His face was bloodless and extremely pale.
Mu Wanyao was silent for a moment, staring at the handsome young man for a long time. After all, he was a handsome man, and very young. He had lost his ancestry, and it was hard to tell from his appearance. However, the feeling Liu Wenji gave her changed again.
If it was covered with a layer of dust before, this time it was covered with a layer of frost and fog.
Frost covered his soul, and he became much colder. He was different from Wei Shu, who was cold and aloof like a pagoda covered with snow, and Liu Wenji was a creature buried under the snow and suffering after the snowstorm.
The coldness that came from his bones was nothing but a gift from fate. But fate was not kind enough to Liu Wenji.
Mu Wanyao was silent for a moment, then said, "I will watch and help you take down those who humiliated you."
Liu Wenji looked at the princess and said calmly, "Can you take it?"
In the evening, the swaying slows down slightly.
Liu Wenji looked at the young princess who couldn't even make a promise. He showed a sneer at the corner of his lips and said indifferently: "It's my own business. Your Highness is only taking care of me for Chunhua's sake. Your Highness has no reason to help me too much. Your Highness, don't worry, I won't make trouble for you."
Mu Wanyao didn't speak for a long time.
She didn't know how to talk to Liu Wenji after what happened. Should she sympathize with him? Or cry with him?
She and Liu Wenji didn't have such a good relationship, and she couldn't empathize with other people's experiences like Yan Shang did. She did feel sorry for him, but... that was it.
She wanted to scold Liu Wenzhi for being decadent, asking why he went to Beili instead of drinking at home.
But she also knew what the point of saying this was.
Beili is not a place where you can’t go.
The Wei Dynasty did not regard Beili as a scourge. In terms of public opinion, Beili was the most prosperous and talked-about place in Chang'an. Anyone who came to Chang'an and did not go to Beili was not considered to have been to Chang'an.
She herself often went there, and so did the officials of the imperial court. Even Yan Shang, who was a man of integrity, often went there.
If someone says that he never goes to Beili, no one will think that this person is noble. They will just think that this person is not sociable and is pretending to be noble.
It wasn't a place that couldn't be visited... The sad thing was that only court officials could go there, and scholars like Liu Wenji could also go there. After the conflict between the two sides, the loser was determined from the beginning.
Mu Wanyao said coldly: "So what do you think about the future? You don't have to think about the imperial examinations anymore, as the road to study is cut off. If you still want to return to Lingnan, I will give you money and arrange a small official position for your father or any other relative in Lingnan. I will ensure that you will be healthy and safe for the rest of your life in Lingnan."
Liu Wenji said calmly, "I can't go back to Lingnan. If I go back now, my parents might die from the blow. It's unfilial for a son to not be able to take care of his parents in their old age. If they knew what happened to me, wouldn't it be heartbreaking for them? I can't let them know."
Mu Wan looked at him warily: "What do you want? Revenge? You can't afford to offend the other party... and I told you, I will help you anyway."
Liu Wenji looked at the princess and said, "Princess and I have no connection. How could a maid help me so much? If this matter leads to something bigger, the princess can have a reason. But if it's just a coincidence... I think that's it. Right?"
Mu Wanyao looked a little embarrassed.
His face suddenly darkened.
She hits the nail on the head in the most annoying way.
Liu Wenji has become different from before. In the past, he was reluctant to speak the truth in front of the princess. Now he completely let go and directly said what Mu Wanyao was thinking. The evil beast in their hearts was known to each other, and it was not a pleasant experience to be pointed out to them in person.
Mu Wanyao reluctantly didn't bother with him because he was so pitiful.
Mu Wan shook: "Then what do you want?"
Liu Wenji's face was pale, and his dark and clear eyes stared at Princess Danyang. He slowly lifted the quilt and got out of bed. Mu Wanyao stood in front of him with pride and grace, and looked at him coldly as he knelt down at her feet.
Liu Wenji whispered, "Chunhua asked Your Highness to give me an official position, but I refused. She also asked Your Highness to give me money, but I refused. I have never asked Your Highness for anything because of Chunhua. Now, I want to exercise this right. I wonder if Your Highness will allow it?"
Mu Wan shook: "What do you want?"
Liu Wenzhi lowered his long eyelashes, and the shadows under his eyelashes completely covered the expression in his eyes.
He said: "I would like to ask the princess for help to let me enter the palace and become an eunuch."
Mu Wanyao looked at him in surprise, "Why? Have you...thought it through? That place is not a good place. I can't take care of you. The palace and the outside world cannot be privately transferred. I will not violate this taboo and extend my hand to my father's territory."
Liu Wen shook his head and said that he didn't need His Highness to take care of him. He said that as long as the princess agreed to his request for help, the princess could use him and deal with him as she pleased. He would not trouble the princess in the future, nor would he contact the princess's mansion again, and would not try to contact Chunhua and ruin Chunhua.
Liu Wenzhi knelt on the ground.
The cold white moonlight shone through the window onto his snow-thin body.
He knelt like this, quietly: "I think about it, everything seems to be caused by lack of power."
In a place like Chang'an, if you want to stay, you must have power in your hands; in a place like Chang'an, if you want to take revenge, you must have power in your hands.
I’ve had enough of the days of being a fish on the chopping board... I’ve had enough of that!
Time and again, the cold knife of fate pierces the heart. Who can still live in ignorance?
Liu Wenzhi raised his head and met Mu Wanyao's gaze, which was bright and filled with deep hatred.
I don’t know whether he hated this world where people do whatever they want, or the powerful person who deposed him.
-----
After one night, news came from Beili.
The woman was indeed just a weak girl who had just arrived in Beili. She was shocked when she saw what happened between Zhang Lang and Liu Wenji. She knew that this was beyond the tolerance of a person like her.
Although she didn't know how this matter would turn out, she at least knew that it was wrong to so easily cripple the Eleventh Prince of the Ministry of Revenue. And if people knew that the cause of the incident was a weak woman like her, she would die without a burial place.
The lady was kidnapped by Zhang Lang in the first half of the night, but she escaped because of Liu Wenji's protection. Liu Wenji was too disappointing, so Zhang Lang lost interest in her, and she was able to leave after asking for help.
After the lady returned, she began to pack her belongings and staggered out of the brothel... However, as soon as she opened the back door of the brothel, Fang Tong and other guards broke in with knives.
When the two sides collide, it will be easy to find out who were involved in the dethronement of Liu Wenzhi.
Zhang Lang was indeed the leader of the gang. Zhang Lang was sleeping soundly in the room, and the Langjun who followed him had already crippled several people. Someone was running away and came to Zhang Lang, asking him to run away quickly: "Langjun, Langjun! Run away! It's someone from Princess Danyang's mansion! I don't know what the relationship is between the crippled person and Princess Danyang. Princess Danyang sent someone to cripple us!"
Zhang Langjiu was suddenly awakened by the shock. He climbed out of bed trembling, put on his pants in a hurry, and climbed out of the window.
It was cold in early winter, and Zhang Lang was frozen stiff when he ran out of the house. But he knew that if he didn't run away, he would be caught by the people in the princess's mansion and might really be abandoned.
Because Princess Danyang is likely to execute first and report later!
Destroy him first, then remedy the situation!
After all, he had been an official for a few days and knew that he had caused a big disaster. Zhang Lang asked the people around him to help cover him from behind, and he was so scared that he jumped over the wall and ran out of Beili, riding a horse all the way back to the mansion to ask for help.
-----
It's dawn.
The sounds of bells and drums accompanied each other, striking one after another.
The residence of Doctor Zhang, the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue, had just woken up.
Doctor Zhang did not attend the court today. He got up leisurely, practiced a set of boxing in the backyard, chatted with his wives and concubines while eating, and then went to the study to read. Doctor Zhang planned to study at home in the morning and go to the Ministry of Revenue in the afternoon to check on today's official business.
It was a peaceful day when there were loud knocks on Doctor Zhang's study door.
His son's voice was screaming outside: "Father, Father! Save me! If you don't save me, I will die!"
Doctor Zhang was furious. He recognized the voice of his own Eleventh Son. He had only been sending this boy to the Ministry of Revenue for a few days, but he didn't do his job properly and asked for leave every day. Today, he even said that he couldn't survive.
Doctor Zhang opened the door with a gloomy face. He was about to scold his son to be more motivated, but he was shocked to see that his son Shiyilang looked miserable, his clothes were in disarray, the skin on his neck was purple from the cold, and he was shivering all over.
Shiyilang rushed over and hugged his father's thighs and cried, "Father, father, save me! Princess Danyang wants to destroy her son. Princess Danyang will definitely come to our house soon. Father, save me!"
Doctor Zhang: "Nonsense! Don't worry, Princess Danyang and I will work for the Crown Prince together..."
His son interrupted him, crying, "It's not like that, father! Last night I stayed in Beili and fought with a man for a woman. I was so angry that I killed that man. In the second half of the night, the guards of Princess Danyang's mansion knocked on the doors of each building in Beili... The man who was killed might be Princess Danyang's lover, her lover! She can't swallow this anger, so she wants to kill your son too!
"Father, help me!"
The doctor of the Ministry of Revenue was shocked and immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and realized that his son had caused him a great disaster.
He was furious, but when he looked down and saw Shiyilang crying, he became extremely anxious. After all, he was his own son, how could he not save him?
The doctor of the Ministry of Revenue gritted his teeth and said, "Come here, change Shiyilang into a servant's clothes! Shiyilang, from now on, you must flee Chang'an and seek refuge at your mother's house. Don't return to Chang'an until this matter is resolved! When your father has discussed it with Princess Danyang and offered her conditions that she is satisfied with, you can come back!"
Shiyilang wiped his tears quickly: "Yes! Father, you must save me..."
Doctor Zhang was furious: "I don't even know if I can keep my father's position. Saving your life is the utmost!"
Less than an hour later, a servant came to report that Princess Danyang had arrived.
Doctor Zhang had already put on his official uniform and was about to go out to meet Princess Danyang.
Shiyilang has escaped from Chang'an...at least his life is saved.
He could then safely negotiate this matter with Princess Danyang.
Doctor Zhang was very straightforward. When he met the princess, he admitted his son's mistake and said he would resign to apologize.
Mu Wan frowned, feeling resentful and cursing him as an old fox.
-----
No one in officialdom is a fool.
Doctor Zhang has been working as a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue for ten years.
He wanted to resign, and for a while he couldn't find anyone to replace him.
In order to apologize to his son, Doctor Zhang gave him money, good farmland, and an official position.
In the end, this matter will inevitably be brought to the attention of the prince.
The crown prince now cares most about the end-of-year ceremony. The most important card in the crown prince's hand is the Ministry of Revenue.
How could the prince cause trouble to the Ministry of Revenue?
The Ministry of Revenue doctor's move of cutting off the source of the problem really made Mu Wanyao secretly resentful.
At this moment, Mu Wanyao hoped that this matter was a trap set by the King of Qin or the King of Jin, so that she could do more... But unfortunately, after a whole night of investigation, Guard Fang found that no one had intervened.
No one cared about Liu Wenzhi.
The Chunhua incident is over.
The King of Qin didn't know about the existence of Liu Wenji from beginning to end, and the King of Jin probably didn't know either... Even if a small figure like Liu Wenji fell into their trap, they didn't remember him.
Mu Wan patted her face to calm herself down. Next, she would have to fight a tough battle in the East Palace.
-----
Yan Shang was still preparing for the examination that day. When the examination ended in the evening, when Yan Shang was leaving the Ministry of Personnel, he met several other officials waiting for orders and also ran into Prime Minister Liu.
After encouraging them, Mr. Liu took the note.
Mr. Liu glanced at Yan Shang with a smile.
Liu Xianggong said slowly, "I just looked at your papers, and you all answered well. My wife is going to cook for us today, so why don't you have dinner at my house?"
Since Mr. Liu has personally invited us, who would dare not give him face?
When they arrived at Liu Xianggong's house, Liu Xianggong asked them to drink, but Yan Shang refused to drink, so Liu Xianggong looked at him several times. But no matter what, the group of officials who were drunk by Liu Xianggong had to stay at Liu Xianggong's house tonight.
Yan Shang was a low-key person, so he would never show off. If others wanted to stay at Liu Xianggong's house, he would stay there too.
However, Yan Shang was afraid that Mu Wanyao would worry about him after two days, so he sent his servant Yunshu to deliver a note to the princess's mansion, telling her not to worry.
He knew everything that happened in Mr. Liu's mansion.
When Mr. Liu was playing chess with his granddaughter Liu Ruozhu, he heard that Yan Shang asked a servant to deliver a letter to the princess's mansion. Mr. Liu stroked his beard, thinking about something.
His granddaughter knelt opposite him, worried about the handsome Yan Erlang.
Liu Ruozhu thought that Grandpa let Yan Erlang stay at home to create an opportunity for him. But now seeing Grandpa's expression, Liu Ruozhu doubted in a soft voice: "Grandpa, are you doing something bad? Bullying Yan Erlang?"
Liu Xianggong laughed and scolded: "What are you doing? I'm protecting him! The East Palace is very lively today... It's better for him not to participate."
Liu Ruozhu lowered his eyes, thinking about what was going on.
Then she heard her grandfather mutter to himself, "But why did Yan Erlang send a letter to Princess Danyang's mansion? I can only see that he should have done something for Princess Danyang, but as a retainer or a staff member, wouldn't he have to tell the princess whether he was going back to the mansion or not? It's a bit strange, isn't it?"
Liu Ruozhu said: "They are the emperor and his subjects. Why do you have to judge them by your own standards?"
Mr. Liu laughed and said, "Yes, yes, yes. She is not as good as my young lady Ruozhu, who is fair and impartial and does not take sides."
Liu Ruozhu's cheeks turned red, and she felt a little uneasy because of what her grandfather said.
She jumped up and said coquettishly, "I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to go see my mother. She's making hangover soup for the guests at home. I'll help her bring a bowl to Yan Erlang as well."
Liu Xianggong glanced at her and said, "Su Chen has never drunk any wine."
Liu Ruozhu stamped her feet, angry and humiliated: "Then the farewell soup will be ok, right? Grandpa, what are you doing? You are so stingy that you don't even give them a bowl of soup?"
-----
That night the East Palace was brightly lit again.
Only Yang Si, who often stayed in the Eastern Palace, was not there.
Because Yang Si's grandmother was ill, Yang Sanlang and his cousin left Chang'an to visit their grandmother. The prince naturally let them go.
Now at night, the people in the East Palace were confronting each other with Mu Wanyao and the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue.
Because of the dethronement of Liu Wenji, the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue wanted to resign. Mu Wanyao said that the prince could keep the doctor, but she asked the prince to compensate her and let her take charge of the year-end ceremony.
The prince seemed to be thinking about something.
He waved his hand and said, "You two should stop arguing. Doctor Zhang, please go down. I want to talk to Danyang for a few words."
After Doctor Zhang left, the prince asked Mu Wanyao, "What exactly is going on? How come a scholar in white clothes was demoted to a poor family and brought a complaint to me? I have listened to you quarreling for a long time and I understand that Liu Wenji probably knew you when you were in Lingnan and you appreciated him. But is this worth your fighting?
"It's useless. I'm just a commoner."
If Liu Wenji was just a scholar in white, perhaps Mu Wanyao's thoughts were similar to the prince's. But even though she was cold-hearted, she was still stunned when she heard the prince say indifferently, "It's useless if it's useless."
For the first time, she got a glimpse of the prince's ruthlessness and indifference.
Mu Wanyao said unhappily, "Even if he is an ordinary citizen, there is no point in dismissing him. Tomorrow, the Censor will sue the Minister of Revenue in the court. I don't think my brother can be saved. It is better to demote the Minister of Revenue by one level. He can still work in the Ministry of Revenue, but he can no longer serve as a doctor. He is not worthy of the position and can no longer win the support of the people."
The prince nodded.
Said: "... maybe."
Seeing the prince's indifferent attitude, Mu Wan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the prince didn't care that much about a doctor from the Ministry of Revenue. She was afraid that the prince would care too much and her opinions would be ignored.
Mu Wan bit her lower lip and said, "And I want to send Liu Wenji to the palace. He has been exiled, and the palace is the best place for him."
The prince's eyes flickered and he looked at her.
Mu Wanyao immediately said, "I'm not arranging someone for the palace. He is not my man, and he will not report the palace affairs to me in the future. Don't worry, big brother, I don't want to do anything, I just want to compensate him."
The prince was surprised: "After returning from the marriage, I felt that you became much more indifferent. But now I see that you are so kind-hearted? Yaoyao, a kind-hearted person cannot play politics."
Mu Wanyao said succinctly: "I am not doing this out of kindness. I am doing this only because although Liu Wenji does not hold an official position, he is a long-time friend of Yan Erlang."
The prince was startled, then solemn.
He doesn't care about Liu Wenji alone, but if Yan Shang is included... The prince wants to win over Yan Shang, and of course he doesn't want to push Yan Shang away because of such a person.
The prince said, "You are right in doing this. We cannot let Yan Erlang be disheartened because of Liu Wenji. You can arrange it however you want. It is best to appease Yan Er. Is Yan Er going to take the exam today? He will be our helper in the future... Don't change things now."
Mu Wan shook her head and said yes.
But she thought in her heart that no matter how much compensation she made, Yan Shang wouldn't like it.
I'm so worried.
-----
The next day, a group of waiting officials left Liu Xianggong's mansion, and Yan Shang also went to say goodbye.
Liu Xianggong was flipping through a scroll in the study, and Yan Shang stood beside him with his hands down, waiting. After waiting for a long time, Liu Xianggong did not let him go.
Liu Ruozhu was actually in the study, hiding behind the screen. Seeing her grandfather being so embarrassed, she couldn't help but feel anxious. Liu Ruozhu quietly made some noise, and the sound of flipping pages could be heard.
Yan Shang was surprised. He was not affected by the sound at first, but the sound continued, so he looked over.
He saw a young girl hiding behind a screen, pointing at him. Before he could wonder why there was a young lady hiding in Mr. Liu's study, he followed the direction of the lady's finger and saw that what she was pointing at was the scroll in Mr. Liu's hand.
Is there something wrong with the strange book?
Yan Shang looked at it carefully, and was slightly stunned.
Because he always felt that...the scroll in Mr. Liu's hand was his answers during the exam?
Mr. Liu naturally knew that his granddaughter had secretly helped Yan Shang. He put down the book in his hand helplessly and asked, "You only saw it now?"
Yan Shang calmed down and lowered his eyes: "...Yes."
Liu Xianggong sighed, "I have been reading your paper for a stick of incense, and you just saw it now. Yan Suchen, Yan Suchen, you are good in everything except that you are too cautious and unwilling to make any mistakes. However, how can a politician always follow the rules and never take one more step?"
Yan Shang replied: "I will keep in mind your teachings."
Seeing his usual gentle attitude, Liu Xianggong didn't know how much Yan Shang had listened to. However, Liu Xianggong threw the scroll away, pulled the corner of his mouth, and thought that he probably didn't listen to much.
Young talents like Yan Shang are somewhat arrogant. After arriving in Chang'an, he took steady steps without any setbacks... Yan Shang certainly didn't think being cautious was not always right.
Liu Xianggong said: "The Ministry of Personnel is reviewing your papers, but they have the papers that were copied overnight. I have your original papers here.
"I looked at your answers from the previous exam. Well, in just half a year, your handwriting has become much more beautiful."
He still lowered his sleeves to listen to instructions.
After listening to Liu Xianggong's rambling, Yan Shang became more and more confused, not knowing what Liu Xianggong was going to say. Finally, Liu Xianggong finally said, "I will arrange for you to stay in the Secretariat to work, what do you think?"
When the lord arranges officials, he never asks for the opinions of his subordinates. Liu Xianggong is so kind that Yan Shang feels grateful and knows that the other party thinks highly of him.
He bowed deeply, indicating that he would follow the arrangements of the minister. Zhongshu Province was such a good place, why would he be dissatisfied?
Liu Xianggong looked at him for a long time, and was extremely grateful to Yan Shang for saying something nice, but he didn't say what he wanted to hear. Liu Xianggong looked indifferent and said, "Why, Yan Suchen? I treat you so well, but I still can't call you teacher?"
Yan Shang said: "Actually, Shang already has a teacher..."
Liu Xianggong said calmly: "Yan Suchen, being polite is a good thing, but it is not always a good thing. When the superior wants to hear your truth, you always shirk your responsibilities like this, which will make people unhappy. I will immediately punish you for the crime of 'smooth talk and flattery' because I am unhappy with your attitude. Even if I don't kill you, I will punish you for the crime of 'smooth talk and flattery', which is nothing."
Yan Shang looked slightly solemn.
I felt a little pressure.
It can be said that after all he had been in Chang'an, this was the first time that Prime Minister Liu made him feel pressured... the feeling that someone was firmly suppressing him and seeing through all his actions.
In front of such an elder, being cunning only appears childish.
Yan Shang's face turned red with shame, he bowed again with his hands down, and told the truth: "...I just don't want to be selected as a team when I first entered the court. I have always followed the princess's arrangements...If I do this, I will be suspected of betraying the prince, and I am afraid that it will be difficult for Your Highness the Princess."
Mr. Liu smiled.
But Liu Ruozhu, who was hiding behind the screen, pouted, feeling that Grandpa didn't give Yan Erlang any face at all. He was only a teenager, why did Grandpa have to be like this?
Liu Xianggong said: "There is no suspicion. The Secretariat is not controlled by the Crown Prince, and no one can convince the prime ministers to take sides. You don't want to become a disciple, do you think that your previous teacher, a mere Imperial College teacher, can teach you everything you need to learn? Well, let me ask you, why do you want to be an official?"
Yan Shang speaks the truth: "Serve the people, be just, be kind, and be benevolent."
Liu Xianggong nodded and said, "Okay, then I will take it as justice and kindness. Let me ask you, whose justice and kindness are you doing? Is justice and kindness in this world absolute? Is it controlled by you, Yan Suchen?"
"Are you sure that what you do is right and others are wrong? Do you think your position is right and others are wrong if they don't agree with you?
"You still want to speak for the people. How ridiculous! Do you know that since ancient times, the world has always consulted the wise and not the masses. Only the wise are consulted, not the people! You may not accept it, but this is the truth since ancient times."
Yan Shang argued: "But the truth of the world is known to everyone. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."
Liu Xianggong asked back: "Are you using the example of desperate situations to refute your usual behavior? People will rebel when they are forced into desperate situations... But desperate situations have always been disasters that have destroyed a country since ancient times. If you encounter them once in your life, you and I will die, and there is no need to discuss how to be an official here!"
Yan Shang was stunned, his face flushed with shame for not thinking things through, and also pale with sadness for being hit in the heart. He stared at Mr. Liu with his eyes fixed, forgetting the etiquette.
It was the first time he heard an elder teach him like this, and it broke his long-held perception.
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