Chapter 78 Fu Li: Wait, the Ji clan? ...
The two of them traveled along the Cloud Road and arrived in Boyi in just half a day.
The reigning Shang king at this time was still Wo Ding, also known by the name Zi Xuan. He had fathered several sons in recent years, but unfortunately, none of them survived past the age of three.
Looking back at the kings in the early years of the Shang Dynasty, apart from King Wu of Shang and King Cheng Tang, the one who reigned the longest was the current one.
Fu Li wasn't familiar with Shang Dynasty history and wondered how much longer Wo Ding could remain king. However, Gongzi Bian, with whom she had been in business for several years, had become increasingly smooth-talking.
Although Fu Li seldom dealt directly with Gongzi Bian after leaving Boyi, and mostly went through Mu Lao, he did meet him some times.
The feeling the young master gave her was that his words were becoming more and more watertight, like a fish in water that was slippery and uncontrollable.
But judging from his behavior, Gongzi Bian became more and more greedy.
According to Mr. Mu, in recent years, Gongzi Bian has expanded his trade routes by selling ironware, porcelain and handicrafts. He has relied on these expanded trade routes to suppress other merchants and even nobles, and rob other people's businesses.
How rampant is he?
Even Master Wen, who didn't care about the fights among mortals, had heard of this.
This time, Wen Zhong happened to be at home, so Fu Li and Ling Zhuzi went to see him together, and they felt quite awkward with each other.
Because it’s difficult to discuss seniority.
If we talk about it from the perspective of Hua Jing Yuanjun, Wen Zhong is naturally Fu Li's elder; but if we talk about it from the perspective of Zhao Gongming and Taiyi Zhenren, Wen Zhong becomes their peer.
Wen Zhong was quite open-minded. He stroked his beard with a smile and said teasingly, "What's the big deal? Is it worth it? From now on, we will just be brother and sister."
When Fu Li and Ling Zhuzi heard this, they realized that they had been deceived by Wen Zhong's image.
——No matter how great Wen Zhong is, he is still a disciple of Jiejiao, and he is still free and easy.
Wen Zhong took in the changes in their expressions and laughed heartily, "Why? I'm just in Boyi, and my duties are unavoidable. Do you really think I'm some stubborn old man?"
"No, no, you're joking, senior brother." Fu Li was a little embarrassed, but was thinking in her heart: That's because you haven't read "The Investiture of the Gods". No matter whether it is the original novel or the various adapted film and television dramas, there is no one who is not stubborn and loyal when it comes to the role of "Wen Taishi".
He is not pedantic, otherwise he would not have agreed to Shen Gongbao's seemingly reliable strategies to protect businesses.
But if you think about it carefully, this is not surprising. "Investiture of the Gods" was written by a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, a corrupt scholar who strictly adhered to the "Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues". It is likely that he had never been an official. He had to rely on his own imagination to make up the affairs between the emperor and the ministers.
The Wen Zhong in the novel inevitably carries some of the aura of a Ming Dynasty scholar-official, the kind of scholar-official imagined by a low-achieving scholar.
But in this materialized world, since Wen Zhong was born in the Shang Dynasty and is a disciple of the Jiejiao, his temperament is naturally influenced by these two aspects.
Wen Zhong laughed and said, "Why don't you call me Senior Brother?"
Fu Li obediently called him "Senior Brother", and Ling Zhuzi followed suit a moment later.
He was different from Fu Li. Before becoming Taiyi Zhenren's disciple, he and Wen Zhong had been equals. Meeting again, he suddenly felt a generation behind, and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Wen Zhong didn't dwell on the issue of seniority and quickly changed the subject: "What do you want to change this time?"
Fu Li placed ten dan of refined salt on the ground and said with a smile, "The food we exchanged last time was enough to last a year. This time, I'll only exchange it for the bronze armor you found. If you don't have any, you can give us some copper ingots and we can go back and forge them ourselves. If that doesn't work, I'll also take copper coins."
With the current economic scale of Shuzhong, barter is sufficient and there is no need to use currency for the time being.
Wen Zhong frowned, and after a while he said, "This is not easy to handle."
Fu Li was stunned and asked hurriedly, "What do you mean? Hasn't the army already completely replaced its soldiers with iron armor?"
Although the current iron production is not high, the population base is not large, so it can still meet the needs of the army.
Wen Zhong shook his head and sighed, with a look of "hate iron but not steel" and a bit of disdain flashing across his face.
"You don't know that most of the discarded bronze armor was collected by Prince Bian and resold in Bin."
"Bin?" Fu Li thought about it. In her memories of her previous life, she didn't have any special impression of this place name, so she didn't take it to heart.
Until Wen Zhong said again: "The Ji clan living in Bin is a branch of the Qiang people. Their ancestors have deep ties with the Youxia clan. The previous kings were quite wary of them, and often secretly instructed the northern Di and Binrong people to weaken their power."
At this point, he couldn't help but sigh. "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you've governed the country with benevolence and virtue. Supervision has been lax over relatively honest branches like the Ji clan in Bin. But they are Qiang people after all. How could Prince Bian sell bronze artifacts to them?"
Rule of law? Lax regulation?
The Grand Tutor was really good at talking, and Fu Li almost laughed out loud.
To put it bluntly, isn't it because Wo Ding was arrogant and the princes were lax in their military preparations, so they had to be lenient towards the marginal Qiang people like the Ji clan in Bin?
In a few years, perhaps the future Shang kings will have to recruit the Qiang people to act as a check and balance.
Wait, Ji surname?
Fu Li suddenly triggered the key words and couldn't help but widen her eyes.
When she heard that they were often harassed by the Di people, she became even more certain: the Ji tribe in Bin was the ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty.
Thinking of his previous guess, Fu Li said "Hey" in his heart: After the Ji clan moved to Zhouyuan, they gradually grew stronger. Didn't they take the opportunity to get close to a Shang king and successfully recruit him?
In fact, this routine is no different from that of the Ying clan in the late Western Zhou Dynasty.
The Xia and Zhou dynasties were of the same clan, and the Shang and Qin dynasties were of the same clan. These two dynasties were truly destined to be rivals.
By the way, when did the Ji clan migrate to Zhouyuan?
Wu Ding? Wu Geng? Or Qiang Ding?
Oh, Qiang Ding is another name for Wo Ding, so it shouldn’t be him.
You stupid brain, think quickly!
What she hated most about her memory was that she only had a partial understanding of it. It would be better for her to know nothing at all.
Fu Li looked at Wen Zhong, and suddenly a crazy idea flashed through his mind: If the Ji clan in Bin were to be completely wiped out now, could the fate of the Shang Dynasty be changed?
Her favorability towards Shang Chao is neither low nor high, but her feelings for Wen Zhong are deep.
When she was just starting out, Wen Zhong really helped her a lot.
How could she bear to think of Wen Zhong's fate in Investiture of the Gods?
But she also knew in her heart that, not to mention that "the rise of Zhou and the destruction of Shang" was an opportunity to overcome the tribulation that had been set by several saints long ago, even if this had not happened, would the Shang Dynasty not have perished?
Cheng Tang ruled for 600 years, but by the time of the last emperor, Emperor Xin, the dynasty had reached the critical point of collapse. Even if the Ji Zhou had not existed, other tribes would have stood up to end the rule of the Shang clan.
Given Wen Zhong's character, no matter who destroyed Shang, he would have died in the line of duty.
Seeing her absent-minded, Wen Zhong thought she was tired, so he said, "You've had a long journey, rest first. I'll take the salt with me, and try to collect as much bronze as possible. I'll help you exchange the rest for food."
Since Fuli reformed farming practices, these reforms have been gradually implemented throughout the country over the years. Grain production has already increased, but the population has not yet caught up.
If it had been a few years later, it would not have been as easy for Fu Li to raise food in Boyi.
Fu Li forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Grand Master."
"It's just a small matter." Wen Zhong left with the salt.
Ling Zhuzi then asked worriedly, "What's wrong with you?"
They had come together, so how could he not know whether Fuli had been implicated? His sudden dejection must have been due to something else.
Fu Li looked at him for a long moment, then suddenly asked, "If you knew which tribe would destroy the Shang State in the future, would you tell Brother Wen?"
Lingzhuzi was surprised and said, "Isn't it Zhou? The Grand Master knows it himself."
Fu Li, who had been dwelling on a dead end, suddenly understood: "Yeah, what was I worrying about?"
Wen Zhong was also a disciple of the three religions. He had already known about the matter of conferring gods. How could he not know that the Shang Dynasty would be destroyed and the new dynasty would be born?
It turns out that she is the only one who can't see through it.
Ling Zhuzi said with a smile: "Is this what you were talking about just now?"
"Yeah." Fu Li nodded sheepishly. "I don't think speaking up will change the fate of the Shang state, but if I don't speak up, I feel sorry for the Grand Tutor."
But if we think carefully about the expression and tone of voice when Wen Zhong mentioned that Prince Bian sold bronze ware to the Ji clan, he must have tried to stop it and also advised the King of Shang.
But the two brothers didn't take it seriously, and Wen Zhong had no choice.
Having served as the Grand Tutor in the human court for so long, Wen Zhong certainly understood: If the monarch of the Shang Dynasty is not wise, no matter how loyal the ministers are to their duties, it will be of little use.
Although Wen Zhong was very capable and had a lot of experience, people like him could be capable and loyal ministers, but they were destined not to be close ministers to the king.
This means that if what he says does not reach the ears of the king, the king will most likely not listen.
"Knowing that the Chamber of Commerce is going to die, but having to watch it slowly go to ruin, wouldn't that be painful?" Fu Li suddenly asked.
Her sentimentality is rare and makes people feel even more distressed.
Ling Zhuzi sighed softly and gently pulled her into his arms. While patting her neck and back, he said gently, "How do you know that this isn't a form of cultivation for Junior-Martial-Nephew Wen?"
At this time, he called Wen Zhong "nephew" in order to remind Fu Li that Wen Zhong was not only a minister of the Shang Dynasty, but also a disciple of the Jiejiao.
With two identities superimposed on each other, one is destined to not be able to consider the future of only one identity.
"...Maybe I've thought too little." Fu Li rubbed against his arms, her dependence evident in her words.
Lingzhuzi held her quietly and comforted her for a long time until her eyelids became heavy and she felt drowsy. Then he bent down, picked her up, and carried her to the couch.
At this moment, the slave guarding the gate came to announce: "Young Master Bian is here to visit."
Lingzhuzi glanced back at Fuli and raised his finger to signal the slave to keep his voice down. The two of them walked out the door and gently closed it. Lingzhuzi then asked, "Did he come to visit Fuli specifically?"
The slave said, "That's what he said."
Lingzhuzi frowned: "What an informed news!"
The two of them walked along the cloud road all the way to the gate of the Grand Tutor's Mansion. The soldiers guarding the gate recognized them and led them in directly without wasting any time at the door.
Normally, this wouldn't attract much attention, but Gongzi Bian arrived almost immediately. Even a fool wouldn't believe him if he didn't send someone to keep an eye on the Grand Tutor's Mansion.
Ling Zhuzi asked again: "What did Master Mu say?"
The slave said, "The elder said that if the young lady is free, please invite him in to see her. If she is not free, just refuse."
Lingzhuzi was not very sensitive to the ways of the world, but he could tell from the slave's tone that even if Master Wen and Young Master Bian had not openly broken up, it was probably not far from it.
Therefore, without thinking, he said directly: "Go and tell Mr. Mu that the young lady is tired from the journey and has already fallen asleep."
"Yes." The slave took the order and left.
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