Chapter 223: Failure to Let Go Is the Real Disaster
"This is the invitation the Prime Minister gave me."
Zhang Rongling handed the invitation to Chen Luo. The invitation was written in large gold-plated characters, and the content inside was very simple.
Find a spouse.
The prime minister was impressed by Zhang Rongling's talent and wanted to recruit him as his son-in-law. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was a life-changing opportunity for Zhang Rongling. He had been in the capital for so many years and knew the power structure of the capital better than anyone else. Without someone to help him, he might never have a chance to be promoted again in his life, let alone see the emperor.
All ideals and ambitions will become nothing.
"What do you want to choose?"
Chen Luo looked at Zhang Rongling and asked a similar question for the third time.
Life is like a title, it’s all choices.
Every choice represents a direction.
Zhang Rongling remained silent. He looked at the invitation in his hand, as if he saw another self yelling at him, asking him to stay true to himself. However, opportunities are rare, and a wrong step will lead to a different outcome. He has studied hard for many years, and isn't this the opportunity to stand out?
I just feel a little sorry for that woman, but a real man has ambitions, how can I give up my future for the sake of my children's love?
He thought of the woman who was still waiting for him. He had originally planned to ask his second uncle to propose marriage next year, but now...
"Please help me return this amulet to her."
Zhang Rongling finally made a decision. When he made the decision, he seemed to hear a sigh, and the atmosphere in the sky became even stronger. Chen Luo took the amulet handed over by Zhang Rongling, and his eyes penetrated the dome and saw the sky above.
A wisp of black fire suddenly appeared on the body of Elder Rong Ling, who was undergoing the tribulation outside.
After making the decision, Zhang Rongling went to the banquet at the prime minister's house that night. He and the prime minister's daughter fell in love at first sight. They recited poems, admired the moon, and painted together.
Half a year later, they got married.
As Zhang Rongling's elder, Chen Luo drank the wedding wine of the newlyweds. The prime minister also chatted a lot with Chen Luo. This prime minister who once had great power in the court is now just an ordinary person.
That night, Zhang Rongling was full of vigor and vitality, with his beautiful wife in his arms and a smooth career. But in another corner, a woman he had forgotten was crying secretly and getting older.
A heartless person will grow old easily, and a beautiful woman will fade away with the autumn frost.
Another year.
Zhang Rongling successfully obtained an opportunity to meet the emperor. With the help of his father-in-law, he rose rapidly and was soon promoted from a minor official in charge of editing books to a Yuwenlang, and began to participate in the national policies of the dynasty.
Because of his father-in-law, Zhang Rongling became a member of the "New Party", an enterprising reformist party in the court. As the prime minister's son-in-law, Zhang Rongling naturally cheered for his father-in-law and participated in many of the new party's reform policies, offending many conservative officials, including some powerful royal relatives among them. However, with the prime minister as a big tree, no one dared to cause trouble for him.
At this time, Zhang Rongling was full of vigor and vitality, like a sword unsheathed. He gained power and began to realize his ambitions, while enjoying the privileges of a "big shot". The power of the Zhang family expanded with the growth of Zhang Rongling, and gradually developed from a local noble family to a family in the capital. The woman who once came from the countryside with Chen Luo also changed.
Under the influence of the people around her, she slowly learned how to choose clothes and wear gold and silver. Because only in this way can she be worthy of her man's identity. She was as humble as ever, and the changes she made were only to make herself worthy of Zhang Erlin, the master.
This year, Zhang Rongling was thirty-seven years old.
Over the past twenty years, Chen Luo has become more and more accustomed to the life here and the woman next to him. The woman remembers every little habit of his, and she seems to have become a part of his life.
He has been practicing for a total of only twenty years, and his experiences in the Heart Demon Tribulation have occupied half of his years of practice. If it weren't for the calamity energy surrounding him every time he looked up, he would probably have been trapped in the Heart Demon Tribulation like Zhang Rongling.
"Master, why don't you take a concubine?"
The woman hugged Chen Luo from behind and whispered something.
There are three types of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants.
She and Zhang Erlin have been married for many years but have no children. Rumors have long been spread behind their backs, but Chen Luo doesn't care and has never taken it to heart. For Chen Luo, he is just a passer-by here, and when the heavenly calamity is over, he will wake up from the "heavenly calamity".
"Have a good rest and don't think too much."
Chen Luo turned around and looked at the woman with white hair, feeling a little distressed for some reason.
The woman is already fifty-eight.
She was no longer young, having lived more than half of her lifespan. But she still lived a humble life, with only Zhang Erlin, her husband, in her humble eyes.
He stood up, pushed the door open and walked out.
Chen Luo's body is not young anymore, he is nearly 60 years old. Although his physical condition is better than that of a woman, it has begun to decline. In order to maintain his physical condition over the years, Chen Luo picked up the martial arts he practiced in Yue State and collected some martial arts in this world. Overall, his progress is pretty good.
It’s a pity that we can’t practice here, otherwise the problem would be solved by just brushing the spiritual energy, there would be no need to go through so much trouble.
night.
Heavy snow.
Chen Luo sat in the room. The charcoal stove made the whole room warm. An oil lamp was burning on the copper table in the corner. The flame illuminated the room, separating it from the cold outside, as if it were two different worlds.
"The Prime Minister submitted his resignation half an hour ago."
Zhang Rongling sat opposite him. He was in his thirties and in the prime of his life. He was less immature than when he was young and more stable. This age group was the golden time for a career. The prime minister he mentioned was his political resource and his father-in-law.
Chen Luo sat at the side, looking at Zhang Rongling in front of him. Zhang Rongling at this moment was completely different from the elder Rongling in his memory. He was more like an old fox with deep plans. After so many years of living together day and night, the relationship between the two became more and more sincere. Zhang Rongling regarded him as the only trustworthy relative in the world.
Even his wife, the prime minister's only daughter, cannot compare to him in this respect.
"He had a falling out with the current emperor."
Zhang Rongling shared the latest news he had received. He knew that the time had come for the Zhang family's fate to be decided, just like when he chose to marry the prime minister's daughter. As long as he waited until dawn, the news of the prime minister's retirement would spread, and by then, the people Zhang Rongling had offended over the years would madly counterattack, and everything he had now would be destroyed by those people, and he would fall from the clouds.
"I am ready to draw a line between myself and him and join Lord Si."
Zhang Rongling continued to talk about his plan. He didn't come to Chen Luo to ask for advice, but just habitually told his closest person about his plans.
"Lord Si? The old-fashioned elder?"
Chen Luo has also learned a lot about the court over the years. Although he has not been involved in officialdom, he still has a very good understanding of the people there.
The Si Lord mentioned by Zhang Rongling is the old stubborn man who took the lead in opposing the prime minister in the early years. He is the leader of the "old party". He is also a deep-rooted old minister, and his daughter is the favorite concubine of the current emperor. The forces behind him are even more complicated. When the prime minister was in power, he couldn't take him down, let alone now.
"Yes, I heard that Lord Si likes purple coral, so I sent someone to find one."
It was obvious that Zhang Rongling had made plans in advance, otherwise it would be impossible for her to find the purple coral she desired in such a short time.
"Melting spirit."
Chen Luo looked at Zhang Rongling who was planning to "betray his father-in-law" and suddenly interrupted him. In the puzzled look of Zhang Rongling, he asked a question. This sentence was an explanation of the uncle-nephew relationship over the past twenty years.
“Have you ever thought about giving up?”
This question made Zhang Rongling stunned, and then he laughed.
"Great glory is right before our eyes, how can we just give up like that! Second uncle, you are old." After saying this, Zhang Rongling stood up and walked out.
He had already made up his mind.
But in Chen Luo's eyes, a layer of mist rose again on the departing Zhang Rongling, and this layer of mist gathered in the sky, becoming thicker and thicker. The black fire on the body of Elder Rongling who was undergoing the tribulation outside was even more, and his aura also fell from the Jindan realm and returned to the perfect foundation building.
The next day.
The prime minister retired, and the court was in turmoil.
Si Ge Lao temporarily took over as prime minister and began to purge the "New Party". A large number of officials were dismissed, and some people who held important positions were thrown into prison. In serious cases, their families were even confiscated and their families were exterminated. The trend of party struggle is cruel. There is no right or wrong here, only winning or losing.
Zhang Rongling, the prime minister's son-in-law, survived the disaster. He did something even more ruthless than Chen Luo expected. In addition to offering treasures, he also disclosed some of his father-in-law's secrets, using the prime minister's interests to exchange for his qualification to serve the "old party", and successfully preserved his power.
A few months later.
As the old and new parties took over the imperial court, the old party began to dominate.
Zhang Rongling has been very cautious during this period and dared not show his face. But he wanted to keep a low profile, but some people didn't want to. The prime minister's former disciple appeared outside Zhang's house and loudly insulted him.
"Zhang Rongling! You shameless villain, you are unworthy of being a son-in-law." The person at the door shouted.
"I am ashamed to be associated with you!!"
The man lifted up the hem of his clothes, took out a pair of scissors and cut it. With a "rip" sound, the front hem broke, and the man grabbed the cut cloth and threw it to the ground fiercely.
"From now on, I will sever all ties with you. Our friendship as classmates ends here!"
The impact of severing ties is just the beginning.
Soon, the remaining New Party members vented their anger at the blow from the Old Party on Zhang Rongling and began to impeach him. As a newly joined official, Si Ge Lao naturally would not do his utmost to protect him. After saying a few symbolic words, he sold out Zhang Rongling.
Outside the city gate.
An old carriage, two women, an uncle and a nephew, and an old servant driving the carriage.
Zhang Rongling failed in his struggle and was demoted to a prefecture by the imperial court. With his current reputation and background, there is basically no hope for him to rise again in this lifetime.
"I will definitely come back and take back what I lost."
The official road was deserted. Zhang Rongling looked at the road with no one to see him off and turned around to get on the carriage.
Chen Luo sat in the driver's seat and looked up at the sky.
Fame, wealth and power are all fleeting.
lay down?
Can't let go!
(End of this chapter)
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