Naturally, the commotion outside could not escape King Zhou's eyes.
Just when King Tan and his side began to confront each other, a palace servant had already quietly entered the hall and informed King Zhou.
But the King of Zhou simply waved his hand. He seemed particularly focused on the items on the table, examining them with exceptional care. After listening to the palace attendant's report, he didn't even raise his head. "If they want to argue, let them. I won't intervene."
The palace maid immediately shut her mouth and prepared to leave.
But the King of Zhou still spoke: "Is it only Lord Wang who will confront him?"
Palace attendant: "Yes."
King Zhou nodded, and without further questioning, he said calmly, "Okay, you can go now."
The palace maids were puzzled, and seemed to have no idea why their king asked this question.
However, as people in the palace, especially those who follow King Zhou, the first thing they learn is to keep their mouths shut, when to quietly try to figure out the king's intentions, and when to quietly leave. They all have to grasp the right balance.
Although there were not many fights and dirty things in King Zhou's palace, those who could work here and gain the favor of King Zhou were all smart and clear-headed.
Kong Lingyun wanted to leave, but King Zhou stopped her and said, "Wait a minute."
She immediately stopped and walked back to King Zhou obediently.
Perhaps because she had not returned for several months, far exceeding the agreed time, and had left her brother in Dechang County, the little princess felt quite guilty.
She had always been extraordinarily bold due to her father's favor, but now she had to carefully lift her eyelids to check her father's expression, making sure he wasn't angry. Only then did she dare to whisper, "I'm sorry, father, please don't be angry with Lingyun."
The King of Zhou was indeed a little annoyed.
After all, any parent would be worried and anxious, and then angry and dissatisfied, if they found that their son or daughter, whom they had raised well, was abandoned.
But after all, she was a princess who was raised like a treasure. Now, after hearing this coquettish voice, the little flame of her passion was extinguished.
With a sigh, King Zhou looked at her and said, "Since you knew I would be angry, why did you take so long to come back?"
Kong Lingyun lowered her head and twirled her fingers: "I want to learn more from the immortal."
King Zhou: "Tell the truth."
Kong Lingyun: "... Fairyland is so interesting, Dechang County is also very fun, I forgot the time."
Quite honest.
The King of Zhou did not criticize him harshly, but simply asked, "What about your sixth brother? Why hasn't he returned yet?"
"He's the factory manager in Dechang County. He's been rushing to finish the work. A lot of machines have been installed at the textile factory, and my sixth brother wants to see more of them."
"Careful work? What?"
Kong Lingyun wanted to say that it was for sending to Hua'an County, but she swallowed the words before she could say them. She said instead: "Maybe it is to keep the people warm. I don't know."
Fortunately, King Zhou did not ask any further questions, but just nodded, thinking that although it was a bit regrettable that his son did not come back, there were immortals over there, and it would be a good thing to have more contact with them.
So he relaxed and smiled: "I didn't notice it just now, Lingyun's skirt is really nice and tight."
When Kong Lingyun heard this, she knew the storm was over. She immediately laughed, spun around on the spot, and her voice became much more lively: "This was custom-made in Dechang County. If father thinks it looks good, you can order them to open a shop in the capital. I love it very much."
The King of Zhou was not well versed in matters of dress for his daughters, but he still followed the princess's lead and said, "If you like, you can have them made and sent to you."
Unexpectedly, this suggestion was rejected by Kong Lingyun on the spot: "No, you have to choose the pattern carefully, ask about the materials carefully, and measure the size in person. Only in this way can you make a beautiful skirt. Each one is not cheap. Although I am a princess, my father said that I should not compete with the people for profit. I should not take advantage of the people. I have to spend money to buy things."
The King of Zhou disagreed: "How much can a piece of clothing cost?"
Unexpectedly, Kong Lingyun actually counted on her fingers and told him, "Anyway, all my annual salary has been spent on this."
King Zhou: ...
Why does it sound like my daughter got scammed by a clothing scam?
Kong Lingyun, having regained the uninhibited spirit of a favored little princess, didn't notice the King's strange expression. She simply approached him and asked with a smile, "Father, did you leave me here with something? I've made an appointment with someone to listen to a story. Today's newspaper serial is at its most exciting part."
King Zhou didn't know what serialization was, but he didn't ask. He just said, "Tell me about the situation in Dechang County."
When Kong Lingyun heard that it was serious business, she let go, stood up straight, and then told everything she had seen and heard in Dechang County.
King Zhou took the memorial submitted by the Governor of Yue County and compared them one by one.
Exactly.
After Kong Lingyun finished telling him everything she knew, King Zhou closed the memorial and said softly, "It seems that what Tan Min said was not groundless."
Kong Lingyun was curious: "What did Master Tan say?"
The King of Zhou was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "If we don't make a decision now and increase our development efforts, we will be left behind by Qi."
Upon hearing this, the little princess softly advised, "Father, although my trip to Langyun Fairyland delayed me for a while, I also saw a lot. Qi and Zhou do have different national conditions, so there are some differences. Father, don't be too upset."
But the King of Zhou shook his head and said slowly, "It has nothing to do with this. Outsiders say that I like to compete with the King of Qi, but it is really a rumor."
Kong Lingyun looked up at him silently.
I don't know who it was, but when he received the letter from the King of Qi, he gritted his teeth and laughed at the other man's son for giving up.
The King of Zhou naturally knew he was lying, but he remained unfazed. He continued, "The reason I did this is primarily because I understand clearly that the current peace between our two countries, while due to our generations of friendly neighborliness, is primarily due to the fact that our differences are not that great. This is how we can both be called Qi and Zhou, relying on each other and standing on equal terms."
As he spoke, he looked at the map hanging behind him, and his eyes moved from the vast plains of Qi to the hilly basin of his own home.
King Zhou was silent for a moment before he spoke, "Lingyun, today your father has something to teach you."
Kong Lingyun immediately straightened her expression: "Father, please speak."
The King of Zhou pointed at Qi, then at Zhou. "If Qi remained the same, I wouldn't have rushed to develop and build it. Stability is best. But things are different now. Qi has undergone many changes and is developing rapidly. If we can't catch up, and the disparity in power becomes too great, Zhou will no longer be Qi's friend, but a vassal."
Princess Lingyun knew that "vassal" was a decent term.
To put it bluntly, it will become a slave and a weak country coerced by a powerful country.
Kong Lingyun frowned when she thought of that scene.
The King of Zhou continued, "If I pretend nothing happened, it's fine. This generation won't be affected. But what about the future? What about my descendants? A ruler must understand that a vassal is always a vassal. Once a country falls, it will never stand up again."
As he said this, he stood up.
He picked up the red pen and drew a heavy circle on Fengwei Mountain where Langyun University is located.
Then, he said in a deep voice: "If God gives me the opportunity to change the fate of our country, even if it is difficult, I must try."
Kong Lingyun bowed directly and said, "Father, this is very kind." She paused and said, "In that case, Father, will you listen to Mr. Tan's advice and start vigorously developing various industries?"
"It's as it should be."
"Should we have someone call Mr. Tan in to discuss this?"
But this time King Zhou didn't nod, and said calmly, "Let's talk about it tomorrow. He's very busy today."
The original meaning of this sentence is that Tan Min knew King Zhou's thoughts best. Tan Min did not say those words just now because he knew that King Zhou would be able to figure it out on his own.
In this case, it is only natural to agree to this matter.
I think Tan Min should start preparing a new memorial today and contact close officials in preparation for the formal memorial at tomorrow's morning court session. King Zhou will naturally give him this time.
But Kong Lingyun obviously misunderstood what her father meant.
She looked towards the palace door with considerable concern and whispered, "Master Tan is still being blocked at the door. What should we do? That old Master Wang is known for his harsh and unforgiving words."
However, the King of Zhou remained calm and spoke in a gentle tone, "Don't worry. I know Tan Min well. No matter if others take advantage of him or not, he never suffers any loss. Instead of worrying about him, it would be better to go to the Imperial Hospital and ask for an imperial physician to be on standby for you, my Lord." He paused slightly, "Oh, and Tan Ao is the best doctor there. That gives me peace of mind. Even if he gets sick from anger, he can be saved."
Kong Lingyun: ...
I inexplicably felt that although my father always called me his beloved minister, he was actually not in a hurry at all, and seemed to be gloating over other people's misfortune.
At this time, outside the hall, the two members of the Tan family were calm and composed, while Old Master Wang was puffing his beard and glaring.
The palace maids standing at the palace gate looked at each other and lowered their heads tacitly.
Only a relatively young palace servant asked worriedly, "What are you doing, my lords? What if a quarrel breaks out? The king is still in the palace."
The palace servants around him were obviously older, and even if they were small figures, they had their own way of surviving in the palace.
At this moment, he silently lowered his head, his eyes drooped, his tail slightly stretched out, his lips motionless, and only his voice quietly entered his companion's ears: "Don't worry, everything is fine."
"What if?"
"You're late, so I'm afraid you don't know. Before Lord Tan was even the Prime Minister, he still quarreled with others from time to time, and he always ended it decently. I guess it will be the same this time."
The young palace servant was slightly stunned, then looked at Tan Min in surprise.
In his mind, this Lord Tan was good-looking and had a good temper. He was particularly polite even to palace servants of humble status like them. He really didn't seem like a sharp-tongued person.
And now Lord Wang’s hair is standing on end with anger, how can he look decent?
At this moment, the old man shouted, "You little bastards, are you targeting me?"
Tan Min seemed to be disturbed by the noise, and his brows furrowed slightly, but soon relaxed and he said with a smile, "No, Lord Wang, you're overthinking it."
"Do you agree with what I just said?"
"Yes, what the adults said is correct."
"Will you change it?"
"I will never change."
Lord Wang: ...
Pooh!
Not only was I scolded, but I was also told nonsense.
The old man's beard was raised, but the man in front of him was a treacherous person and he couldn't get any advantage at all.
So, Lord Wang said, "This boy is not worthy of being my advisor!" and then he left with a wave of his sleeves.
Tan Min sighed deliberately before the other party left, "It's so hard to be a human being these days. You can't get what you want, and you can't get what you want. It's really too difficult. I'm a good-tempered person, so I really don't know what to do."
Tan Ao glanced at him silently.
Just you, good temper?
Every word he said was meant to infuriate people to death, and he used the softest voice to say the most vicious words.
You've clearly won the argument, but you still want to confront the other person in the end.
As expected, when Lord Wang heard this, he paused slightly, then left without looking back.
He walked so fast that he didn't even need a cane.
This time, Tan Min actually laughed out loud, muttering to his senior brother, "Look, I told you before that Lord Wang is in very good health. He used to always take sick leave for no reason, but now it seems he's probably just faking it. Remember to write on the pulse record at the Imperial Hospital that he's in good health, and you won't have to ask for leave for him anymore."
Tan Ao looked helpless, but he still nodded, and his voice became softer: "Okay."
Tan Min glanced up at him and said, "Why do I feel like you're just teasing me?"
Tan Ao said seriously, "To my uncle, this is the filial piety of a nephew. To my junior brother, this is the kindness of a senior brother. In short, you are right."
Tan Min: ...
Who would have thought that the always cold and aloof Dr. Tan, who seemed like a flower on the mountain top, would actually be able to hint at others in a joking way.
It is really hard to learn good things, but it is easy to learn bad things.
However, Tan Ao was still a little worried: "Will that Lord Wang do something bad to you behind your back?"
The wording was a bit too cryptic, and Tan Min was stunned for a moment before he barely understood it. He then said, "Don't worry, it won't happen." He held up a few fingers and said, "No matter if it's the Wang family or any other aristocratic family, if they want to target me, they need a target. But I've been cut off from my family for a long time. My parents are dead, and I have no wife or children. I'm all alone. Even if they wanted to... to slander me, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to do it."
Imperial Physician Tan hesitated for a moment, but finally followed his heart and asked, "But he ultimately has the support of a powerful family, while you have none. If a fight really breaks out, the king will inevitably be pressured by the family and work against you."
Hearing this, Tan Min smiled again, his eyes narrowed, and his voice was full of teasing: "I clearly remember that when you were young, you liked to be impartial and fair, and refused to take sides. It seemed that you had no ideas of your own. You applied the principles of health preservation to your interpersonal relationships and never crossed the red line. Why have you changed today? Talking about the king behind his back is not like your usual style."
Tan Ao naturally knew that he had always been just as Tan Min said, not saying much about many things.
Or rather, he doesn't care at all.
When one has no desires, he is strong. When a person does not care about anything, he will naturally look particularly calm and clear-headed.
But now it is different. No matter whether Tan Ao agreed to be bound to Tan Min in the beginning because of the same interests, the friendship between brothers, or because he still had the apology in his heart for not being able to stop the persecution of Tan Min after being a direct descendant of the Tan family, in short, they are now standing together.
To put it bluntly, even the Tan family has tacitly accepted that the two are bound together.
In this case, it is still unknown whether they will prosper together, but it is inevitable that they will suffer together. Caring about him is caring about yourself.
But these words are too straightforward and hard to say out loud.
Tan Ao remained calm and said, "The immortals said that respecting the old and loving the young is a virtue. Third Uncle is my elder, so this is the way it should be."
Tan Min: ...
The most handsome man in Zhou State inexplicably became "old".
For the first time, he felt that the joke about his third uncle was not funny at all.
Tan Min snorted lightly, but ultimately did not refute. He simply said, "The problem you just mentioned does not exist at all, because no matter what happens to me, the king will always stand by me."
Tan Ao was puzzled: "Why?"
Tan Min chuckled, his eyes indifferent. "Because I'm useful. Do you really think my rapid promotion is due to my ability or beauty?"
Tan Ao was silent for a moment: "Ability is good, beauty is not necessary."
Tan Min ignored him and continued, "The Zhou Kingdom has a large population and countless officials, many of whom are capable. But the king chose me because I don't have a noble family background. I don't have the support that others have. My only supporter is the king. Therefore, the king uses me and will not doubt me, because he knows that my life is in his hands. As long as I am still useful, he will keep me going and let me do things that he wants to do but cannot do."
Tan Ao didn't seem happy after hearing this. Instead, he frowned. "Doesn't that mean your situation is extremely dangerous? And can you really say that?"
Tan Min said slowly, "The king and I are both fully aware of this matter. If he hears it, he will only praise me for my self-awareness. If you don't want to lose, just make yourself useful as long as possible."
But he suddenly stopped talking, raised his eyes slightly, looked at the Imperial Physician Tan who was half a head taller than him, and soon smiled.
Tan Ao asked, "What's the matter?"
Tan Min smiled and said, "If we talk about close relationship, I do have a senior brother."
Tan Ao had a blank expression on his face: "Don't scare me."
Seeing that he wasn't afraid at all, Tan Min felt bored, so he patted the man's arm and said, "Don't worry, since you and I are in the same boat, I will definitely keep you safe."
Then he turned and walked towards the palace gate.
Tan Ao followed and looked at the man inconspicuously.
The only thing on his body, apart from the official uniform token, was a plain hairpin, and no other decorations.
He exudes integrity and honesty, and is incorruptible.
Corresponding to this person are the wealthy and prosperous families in the Zhou State.
Even if Tan Min didn't say it, Tan Ao could feel that after returning to the capital this time, Tan Min not only wanted to promote the immortal method, but more importantly, he was targeting those big families openly and secretly.
Tan Ao didn't understand the reason for doing this.
I just think it has something to do with the books this person got from the immortal.
But no matter what, these are beneficial to the people and the country.
In that case, there's no harm in accompanying him.
So Tan Ao asked, "Are you going back home?"
Tan Min waved his hand: "Let's go to the newsstand in the city first. I want to check out the new series and the news above."
Tan Ao was silent for a moment: "Your news and sketch will only be published once, there will be no second time."
Tan Min replied seriously, "I'm not here for that. I want to take a closer look at the immortals' methods of advancement, as well as the latest happenings in Qi." But after that, he asked, "Are you really not going to come up again? My sketch is so beautiful, I should be able to come up a few more times."
Tan Ao was already accustomed to this person's daily obsession with appearances, so he didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he asked, "The publicity power of this newspaper is indeed strong enough, but I am always worried about whether it will be affected if it is obtained by barbarians."
Tan Min didn't care: "They are in internal turmoil, I'm afraid they don't have time. Even if they read and understand, it will be a contribution to education and reduce violence, which is actually a good thing. What's more, they can't understand."
"Why?"
"I can't read."
Tan Ao: ...
Is this what Xia Yingxianren said before, suffering from lack of education?
At this time, Xia Ying was busy promoting medical skills in Dechang County.
But he didn't stay here for long.
After a while, when the new clinic was built in Dechang County, he handed over the unfinished tasks here to his trusted classmates, and followed the convoy to Hua'an County.
Because most of the items being transported were cotton-padded clothes, ironware and the like, which were heavy and extremely important and needed to be carefully guarded, the journey was not very fast and it took almost a week to enter the eldest princess's territory.
Xia Ying lifted the curtain and looked outside. With just one glance, he was certain: "We're almost to Hua'an County."
This surprised the accompanying guards: "How did the Immortal Lord know this? Could it be that the Immortal Lord has been here before?"
Xia Ying smiled, said nothing, and just looked not far away.
There, rows of houses stand quietly. You can tell at a glance that they are newly built, and from the design point of view, they have a strong Langyun style.
Straight up and down, square and upright, full of pragmatism.
I think this is the house built for the grassland people according to Langyun’s drawings.
Since we saw the house, it means we are not far from Hua'an County.
Sure enough, after walking for a while, we could see the gate of the county town.
However, Xia Ying did not follow them into the city. Instead, he got off the car first and walked towards the new house with other classmates.
Not long after walking, I ran into Yan Tao who had been waiting there early.
Xia Ying took a few quick steps and went to meet him, saying, "You were delayed on the way and arrived a little late. Why didn't you wait in the house? It's cold outside, don't catch a cold."
Yan Tao was a little confused by the string of questions from her senior. After a moment's reaction, she smiled and said, "It's okay, I'm not cold, don't worry, senior. Besides, if I really did catch a cold, you're here, right? A shot would be enough."
Xia Ying frowned slightly, as if he was about to preach again.
Yan Tao spoke before he could say anything, "But why did the senior come this time? Didn't he just need to bring the cotton clothes and ironware?"
Xia Ying was silent for a moment before he slowly said, "I accepted a mission and came here to give a physical examination to the grassland people."
"Physical examination? Why?"
"Although the grasslands are also the eldest princess's territory, and the people there are her subjects, the distance is far, and they have been on the grasslands for a long time. I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to adapt to the sudden change of environment. Even if they overcome the acclimatization, they still need to be checked to find out if they have any hidden diseases and get vaccinated to ensure their health."
Although Yan Tao can treat small animals, she is still confused about treating humans.
So she nodded as if she understood, but didn't ask any further questions.
Xia Ying looked around and said, "Didn't you say that Tana would lead us to meet the grassland people? Why did it become you? Where is she?"
Yan Tao did not hide it and said directly: "The princess sent her to the barbarian country."
"do what?"
"It seems the Princess's undercover mission in the Barbarian Country has achieved initial success. Since Tana previously had experience...cutting things in the Barbarian Country, we asked her to go over and inspect the results."
This made Xia Ying feel fresh: "Undercover? I remember the eldest princess was an extremely straightforward person. I've met her twice before and she seemed very straightforward. How could she use tactics and routines?"
This made Yan Tao silent for a long time. Then she sighed and whispered to Xia Ying, "This is a story about how to corrupt the indigenous people. Come, I will tell you slowly."
At the same time, Tana was in a small town on the border of the Barbarian Country.
This town is considered to be a quite lively town in the Barbarian Country. Although there is civil unrest in the Barbarian Country, the people still have to live, so some brave caravans will pass through here to enter the Barbarian Country.
So during the day, there are still many people on the streets of the town.
However, in the midst of this hustle and bustle, there was a house facing the street with its door tightly closed and its windows covered with black cloth, so the situation inside could not be seen from the outside.
It's almost like the words "I have a secret" are written on his face.
In fact, this is indeed a secret gathering place.
Those inside are all the heads of intelligence work in the vicinity. Their goal is to investigate the situation in Zhou State, just like Qiao Lun did before.
At this time, more than a dozen leaders gathered together, all sitting around the table with serious expressions.
One of them was Chi Wu, who was newly sent here by the Barbarian Kingdom.
He was only in his early twenties, and originally he was not supposed to be involved in such matters. However, because Hua'an County intensified its crackdown on the barbarians, resulting in the loss of several barbarian spies, such a young man was promoted.
At this time, Chi Wu was extremely excited, but he still tried hard to control his expression. He sat at the table with a serious face, waiting for the meeting to begin.
But no one spoke for a long time.
Just when he was wondering, suddenly, someone gently pulled down his hood, revealing his true appearance.
This surprised Chiwu a little.
Logically speaking, according to the previous agreement, these spies would hide their identities, so they would not know each other's appearance. Even if they met, they would cover themselves tightly with black cloaks and hoods.
Why doesn't this person follow the rules...
But after just one look, he was stunned.
Why is it a woman?
That's not right. She was clearly holding Qiao Lun's token...
Could it be that the previous intelligence was wrong? Is Qiao Lun actually Qiao Mei?
Just as Chi Wu was stunned, the woman spoke in Zhou language: "I have to say, the intelligence work of the Barbarian Kingdom is indeed mediocre. Even with the windows covered like this, anyone can tell that there is something wrong."
After these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other and then lowered their heads in shame.
Chi Wu also lowered his head, but thought to himself that this man sounded like a leader, which was different from the information he had received before.
Also, a group of barbarians actually want to communicate in Zhou language?
It should be to allow them to adapt to the Zhou language environment faster and better, so that they can better penetrate the enemy country and understand the situation.
He really didn't understand the spy industry and he was still too young.
Then the woman continued, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Tana, and I'm from Hua'an County. You can call me by my name from now on."
Everyone: "Yes."
Chi Wu: “Yes… huh?”
Where is Qiao Lun?
Gender changed, name changed?
Tana didn't look at him. She leaned forward slightly, her hands on the table, and cast a sharp gaze at everyone. "I came here because it's been two months since Her Royal Highness the Princess sent you here. I'm glad that you've been able to wipe out the intelligence network here through your own efforts and take the position of leader." Then she looked out the window. "Of course, given the opponent's intelligence level, your victory is well deserved. But I will reward you all, so don't worry."
Everyone: "Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you, Captain of the Guards!"
Chiwu:? ? ?
Tana seemed to notice Chi Wu's silence. She immediately looked over, her eyes slightly narrowed as she stared at the face that was tightly covered by the hood, and spoke word by word, "At the same time, I came here for another matter."
As she spoke, her eyes swept over the crowd again.
Chi Wu vaguely heard something wrong, because there was no eldest princess in the barbarian country!
The only country with a princess nearby is Zhou...
But he didn't dare to speak or move, as if his brain was a little slow to work.
At this moment, Tana slowly spoke: "According to intelligence, there is a person here who is a spy sent by the Barbarian Nation. I hope this person will come forward now and confess, so that he can be treated leniently and have a chance to survive."
Chiwu:......
???
Is it because his language level is too poor?
What does this mean?
You are in the Barbarian Country, saying there are Barbarian spies here...
Huh?
Wait.
Um……
Oh shit!
Combined with what this person just said, Chi Wu's clever IQ finally took the upper hand.
He realized that, except for him, everyone sitting here was an undercover agent of the Zhou people?
No, it should be me who is undercover and your undercover...
Are you all ghosts?
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