When the people of Zhou State were discussing "how to balance the ways of being a minister and the ways of being a teacher", someone had already walked up to Kun Jingming.
Kun took a look and smiled, "How have you been lately?"
When Zhang Miaomiao heard this, she sighed.
As a national defense student in Langyun, although she stayed in Qi State with fine clothes and delicious food, she looked no different from a year ago.
He is tall and has a neat hairstyle. Even though it is winter, his clothes do not look bulky and he looks very stylish.
She glanced around and realized no one else was paying attention. Then she muttered, "Everything's fine, except those little ones are too boisterous. They're always asking questions, like a walking pile of "Whys."
Kun Jingming comforted her: "If you really feel tired, you can go back to school and rest for a while."
Unexpectedly, Zhang Miaomiao rejected it outright: "It doesn't matter. It's not bad here either. At least I have plenty of sparring partners. Those young masters and princesses just have a lot of problems in their heads. I'll just have to wait and see."
"Wait until when?"
"When they get to senior year, the Third Young Master of Qi told me that by then, they'll have morning and evening self-study sessions, and I guess they won't be able to think about anything else except homework."
Upon hearing this, Kun Jingming laughed, thinking that no matter what world it is, no matter whether it is ancient or modern, the methods of raising children are actually similar.
Studying hard is the only way out.
But, who is the third prince of Qi that this person is talking about?
There were so many indigenous people that Kun Jingming could hardly remember them all.
It was a long time before I vaguely remembered whether he was the prince of Qi who would rather be "beaten" by Zhang Miaomiao until he couldn't get up but still persevered?
Just as I was about to ask more questions, I saw Fu Jun walking forward.
Fu Jun had already adjusted his mindset well by this time. He smiled warmly and moved elegantly, "Greetings, Immortal Lord."
I was about to say something polite, but Kun asked directly, "I wonder how the young princes and princesses are doing with their studies during this period?"
Fu Yun smiled and said, "They are all very serious, but I can't say how well they are doing. We still have to wait for the final exam results to come out."
Kun Jingming was a little surprised: "The exam is over?"
"Yes, a month earlier than expected."
"why is that?"
"It's probably because this state banquet is so grand and they all have to attend, so it's better to arrange their studies as soon as possible."
Kun Jingming nodded to show his understanding.
Meanwhile, He Yiyi, who was not far away, looked puzzled: "Is there any necessary connection between taking the exam and participating in the Spring Festival Gala?"
Bian Yuhang shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.
Zhang Miaomiao, who happened to be passing by, paused after hearing this. After a moment's thought, she said, "Maybe it's because after the exam, there will always be people who don't perform well enough."
"so what?"
"I guess the Qi royal family doesn't care about child psychology, especially these young princes. They will face a lot of pressure in the future. They are all pressure fighters. If they don't do well in the exam, their buttocks will be in trouble. In Qi, important occasions require kneeling. If their buttocks are swollen, they probably won't be able to sit down."
He Yiyi: ...
Well, that's a reasonable reason.
At this time, the people of Zhou State had been led by Fu Yun to the place where the envoys from various countries were staying.
Langyun and his group headed towards the main hall.
As soon as I entered the door, I saw the King of Qi sitting at the top.
This was not the first time they had seen the King of Qi, but it was obvious that this man's appearance was very different from the first time they met him.
He was no longer the thin person that people in Qi liked. It was obviously due to exercise. His skin was darker and he looked particularly healthy.
But people can't escape time after all, and the King of Qi is already quite old, and his hair is now much whiter than before, making him look old.
Kun Jingming had only been away for a year, and now his expression was normal. He smiled and said, "It's been a while since we last met. The King of Qi is much stronger than last time."
The King of Qi returned the greeting, his eyes sweeping across the faces of the Langyun crowd, finally stopping at Kun Jingming. After a moment's scrutiny, he sighed, "Yes, it's been a long time since we last met. I'm already quite old, but the Immortal Lord's appearance remains the same. He truly is unlike any mortal."
Kun Jingming remained calm, as if everything was within his expectations.
He Yiyi was stunned for a moment and frowned slightly.
Seeing this, Bian Yuhang whispered, "What's wrong, Senior Sister? Are you worried about Zhong Yao? Don't worry, although Zhong Langjun is not from Zhou, he is already half a Zhou official and businessman. He will definitely not be treated unfairly over there."
He Yiyi glanced at the man in confusion and said, "I'm thinking about something else."
"What's the matter?"
"How old are you?"
Bian Yuhang opened his mouth and was about to answer, but he was stunned for a moment. He then counted in his mind before replying, "Including the five years since I traveled here, I'm already twenty-five."
He Yiyi glanced at the man twice, looking at the face that vaguely showed youthfulness, and sighed softly: "Yes, he's this big now."
Unexpectedly, Bian Yuhang replied seriously: "Well, senior sister is one year older than me."
As soon as these words came out, the other Langyun students around him said: ...
It's obvious that this silly boy is destined to be alone!
But He Yiyi didn't care about any of this. Instead, she said softly, "So much has happened since we came here. Let alone my birthday, we haven't paid attention to many other things." As she spoke, she touched her unchanged face, then looked at the aging King Qi above it, and said softly, "I thought the air in this other world was good, pure and pollution-free, so it was nourishing. But now I think that shouldn't be the case. I'm afraid I'll have to ask the professors carefully when I return to school this time."
On the other side, Kun Jingming was already chatting and laughing with the King of Qi.
But his eyes were looking around.
At this time, there were not only his classmates in the hall, but also several people wearing official uniforms of Qi State.
One of them, Kun Jingming, looked very familiar.
Feeling his gaze, the man raised his head, then smiled and bowed: "Your servant Pei Jishang greets my mentor."
As he said this, he bowed deeply to the ground, very respectfully.
Kun Jingming finally remembered the student from Qi who had studied in Langyun.
After all, it is hard not to be impressed by the fact that it forced Kun to come up with military training methods to clean up, and it can also be dried and sun-dried without getting tanned.
As for the others, perhaps because the hall was not bright enough and their skin was too healthy, they seemed a little unrecognizable.
But just looking at the skin color, you can tell that, well, it's from Langyun!
However, Kun Jingming was still a little surprised that these people had such successful careers in just a few years. Especially Pei Jishang had actually put on the red official uniform representing the third rank, which was really surprising.
The King of Qi seemed oblivious to all this. He held his wine cup in his hand and remained silent for a long time before he spoke: "I wonder if I could have a private conversation with Immortal Kun?"
Kun Jingming glanced at him and said calmly, "If it's something important, I think it's best for my companions to stay and listen as well."
The King of Qi did not insist and nodded.
So, the palace maids and court officials retreated one after another, and the people of Langyun did not stay long and went outside to wait.
Only the elderly King of Qi, Kun Jingming, and Zhang Miaomiao, who was responsible for protecting him, were left in the huge palace.
After the palace door was closed, the King of Qi reached out and pressed the soft pillow to sit up straight.
He coughed twice, which was his habit. Usually, doing so meant that he had something important to say.
Then I saw a hand stretched out in front of me.
There was a piece of light blue "cloth" on it.
The King of Qi was somewhat surprised: "What is this, Immortal Lord?"
Kun Jingming said calmly: "This is called a mask, medical grade. Since you are coughing, I'll give it to you."
Qi State also has masks now, but most of them are made of cloth, and this new material is still rare.
I guess the immortal is concerned about my illness. He is really kind.
So he smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Immortal Lord. I am fine."
Kun Jingming said seriously, "If you are ill, that's something the doctor will consider, but you can't just sit there and do nothing. You should try not to infect others. It's your personal responsibility and obligation to do a good job of personal protection."
King Qi: ...???
Although he accepted the mask, he still tried his best to explain that he was fine and did not wear it after all. However, he did not dare to add drama to himself later.
After settling back into his seat, the King of Qi spoke again, "My health is no longer what it used to be. Although I appear to be healthy, I know in my heart that I am only a mortal. Unlike an immortal king who remains unchanged for thousands of years, I cannot defeat time. Furthermore, my health has not been good, so it's time to consider my affairs after death."
These words were about matters of life and death, but they were spoken in an extremely casual manner, which made Kun Jingming look at him with a higher regard.
So he sat up straighter and asked seriously, "What are you going to do?"
The King of Qi raised his eyes. His face was clearly wrinkled, but his eyes were exceptionally clear, and his voice was also clear and bright: "Although I cannot live for ten thousand years, I can give the people of Qi ten thousand years."
Kun Jingming was slightly stunned, obviously not expecting this person to say such a thing.
The King of Qi, however, seemed completely oblivious to the other's expression, speaking to himself, "Although I have remained in this palace and rarely leave the capital, I have seen and heard the changes in the world. Especially what has happened in the Zhou Kingdom, it has given me much to ponder."
He did not elaborate on what the matter was, but Kun Jingming knew it well. He was probably talking about the Zhou State's cleansing of the aristocratic families and uprooting of the entrenched gentry.
The King of Qi exhaled, and his words became very long. "I have thought a lot these days. At first, I was afraid, terrified. It was like closing my eyes and waking up the next day to find myself hanging outside the palace. But perhaps as we age, we can see through many things. After much reflection, I realize that this is the path I should take."
Kun Jingming cooperated and asked, "Which road?"
The King of Qi smiled. This old man who had been a king all his life finally possessed the wisdom of a king. At least from his smile one could see the tacit understanding.
But he finally said, "It's just like the saying in the fairyland: the people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least important."
This is easy to say but hard to do.
Especially when he is the "king", it is really not easy to say that he is insignificant.
But the King of Qi was very calm: "When my ancestors became kings, I don't know whether they were thinking about the people or their own wealth. I don't know, and I don't want to think about it. I just know that such ideas will spread throughout the world sooner or later. Qi is the most civilized country, so I am afraid it will spread first. By then, the inconvenience will also change. Rather than wait until that point, it is better to make a decision now."
Kun Jingming glanced at the King of Qi and felt that he was so frank that he had nothing to hide. He said directly, "Actually, you have many choices."
The King of Qi did not deny it and said with a smile, "Yes, there are quite a few. My first thought was to burn all these books and kill all those who spread such ideas. I would directly extinguish all the flames of hatred and naturally everything would be stable."
As soon as these words were spoken, Zhang Miaomiao frowned.
Kun Jingming turned his head to take a look and found that the man had already stretched his hand to the side of his leg.
There is a bulge there. Even though we can't see what's inside, just looking at the man's movements, I'm afraid it must be filled with new items from the ammunition engineering department.
Conservatively speaking, if they really take action, they might just be able to replace the king of Qi in advance.
It is even possible to help demolish the main hall.
But Kun Jing knew that what King Qi did at this time proved that he had no real intention of taking action, so Kun raised his hand gently, pretending to stop Zhang Miaomiao's dangerous thoughts.
But this action obviously caused Zhang Miaomiao to misunderstand.
She stared at it for a while, hesitated for a moment, then took something out of her pocket and stuffed it between Kun Jingming's raised fingers.
Student Kun looked closely.
A lollipop.
???
Zhang Miaomiao also earnestly advised: "Senior, smoking is harmful to your health, just use this for now."
Kun Jingming: ...
The tense atmosphere dissipated in an instant, and I felt both amused and helpless.
The King of Qi also smiled, and the usual respect he showed to the people of Langyun remained, but with a bit more kindness towards the younger generation.
Kun Jingming quickly adjusted his mood, put the candy in his pocket, and spoke again: "I heard that you promoted Pei Jishang and sent Fu Yun to meet with envoys from various countries. I think you must have made your choice."
The King of Qi nodded generously. "Yes, I understand very well. From the moment the immortals left Langyun Fairyland, many things were inseparable. Even if I could destroy all those factories and buildings, I can't restrain my thoughts. It's better to go with the flow and stand with the immortals. In this way, Qi will prosper, and my Fu family will also gain a good reputation. Even if we lose some power, it is better than being flattened by the Zhou Kingdom. I think we can live up to our ancestors."
Kun Jingming's fingertips moved slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "Oh? What does the last sentence mean?"
The King of Qi also laughed, his voice soft, "The Zhou Kingdom's promotion of Tan Min and overthrow of the aristocratic families means that they are already moving in the direction desired by the Immortal Realm. In other words, they saw through all this earlier and seized the opportunity. I believe that their future development will be more rapid than that of the Great Qi. If we continue to close our borders and block our spies, then it is only a matter of time before we are overtaken or even crushed. Although I have a good relationship with the King of Zhou, I am afraid that after a hundred years, we will not be so easy to get along with. I believe that the immortals believe in peace, but I do not trust the Zhou people."
Kun Jingming poured himself a cup of tea and said calmly, "So, you chose Fu Yun, who has a good relationship with us, and also reused the students who had studied in Langyun before?"
The King of Qi said calmly: "Yes, as long as they are here, Qi can maintain contact with the immortals and gain more benefits in the future."
This was the first time Kun Jingming had seen someone talk about using the back door so confidently.
But this is obviously beneficial to his mission, so he naturally would not object.
So, Kun Jingming raised his glass with a smile.
The King of Qi could see the other party's satisfaction, and the heavy stone in his heart fell a lot. He raised his wine cup as well.
"bite!"
The cups collided, making a crisp sound.
Both the host and the guests were delighted.
Zhang Miaomiao looked at this and then that.
It was obvious that the two people were discussing the future of the country and even the general situation in the world, but their tone was calm and nonchalant.
You know, at the most tense moment just now, Zhang Miaomiao had already given these people an on-site education class on "Emergency Plan at the Explosion Site".
In the end, it just passed by so lightly.
The future of Qi was determined in just a few words.
When they clinked glasses, Zhang Miaomiao subconsciously touched her arm.
The hall was clearly already warmed by the charcoal stove, but she inexplicably felt a little cold...
Sure enough, those who play power games have evil hearts.
At the same time, in the palace where the envoys were staying, Tan Min and Fu Yun sat opposite each other.
Next to him was Kong Zhang, who was working hard on his homework at a small table set up by himself.
As the host, Gongzi Jun was very polite. He poured tea with a smile and handed a cup to Tan Min, but his eyes were looking at the Prince of Zhou who was not far away, and he felt it was a pity in his heart.
Originally, he planned to take advantage of Kong Zhang's young age and gentle personality, and rely on their friendship to gain some advantages during the negotiations.
But unexpectedly, Tan Min parachuted in directly.
Fu Yun would not look down on this man just because of his beautiful appearance. After all, Zhou State was not Qi State. They did not look at appearance when selecting officials, and even preferred big and strong men. This Lord Tan must be no simple person to be able to hold such a high position.
Then think about the report from the spies in the border counties of Zhou Kingdom, saying that this man tortured three barbarians to the point of near insanity in a short time...
Thinking of this, Fu Jun became extremely cautious.
Tan Min sensed the other party's seriousness and couldn't help but laugh. His voice was gentle and pleasant. "I'm just chatting with you this time, not discussing the relationship between the two countries. Please don't be so nervous."
Fu Jun smiled and nodded, but smiled bitterly in her heart.
How can I not be nervous?
It seems very formal and serious to say that it is diplomatic relations between the two countries, but to put it simply, it is like a poker game from wonderland.
I thought you were going to get a three, but you ended up getting four twos.
How can people not feel uncomfortable when the game explodes at the beginning?
But Fu Jun still wanted to fight for it.
He looked at Kong Zhang again, personally picked up the teapot and refilled the other's empty cup with hot tea. He said gently, "I really didn't expect that after you came here, you didn't come to talk to me, but to do homework."
Kong Zhang didn't look up immediately after hearing this. Instead, he finished writing the last character first. Then, while rubbing his wrist, he said, "There's nothing I can do. The teacher said that if I don't finish these Chinese homework assignments, I will not only have to write twice as much, but I will also have to be spanked."
Fu Yun laughed and said, "He is a minister, and you are a prince. Why are you afraid of being beaten by him?"
If these words had been spoken just now, I'm afraid Kong Zhang would still hesitate.
But knowing that the man would beat him until he cried out in pain, Kong Zhang said firmly: "Of course I'm afraid. His beating is going to hurt!"
Fu Jun really didn't expect this person to be so cowardly.
But, think about it from another perspective, if I also had a ruthless person like Tan Min as my teacher...
Fortunately, the Taifu of Qi State are all good-tempered, thank God.
But Fu Jun was still a little unwilling, so she lowered her voice so that everyone could hear it and asked, "But you are the chief envoy, how can you safely give up your position now?"
This is a direct provocation, but no one can say anything.
Sure enough, Tan Min heard it, but pretended not to hear it. He was calm and had no reaction.
Kong Zhang, on the other hand, said solemnly, "Don't say that. I am very relieved that the Master is talking to you."
Fu Yun was puzzled: "Why?"
Kong Zhang said seriously, "No matter what his temper is, he is my teacher after all, so he will always be on my side. But you will bully me."
The blunt remark made Gongzi Yun's smile difficult to maintain, and he squeezed out a dry sentence: "How could it be..."
Before he finished speaking, Kong Zhang said, "The first time we met, you tricked me into leaving with the bicycle I made. The second time we met, you snatched away my chance to get the immortal's help. The third time we met..."
Seeing this person recounting every detail of their relationship like the back of his hand, Fu Yun was speechless.
Obviously, he underestimated Kong Zhang's good memory.
Speechless, Fu Jun poured the other person another cup of tea and said, "Do your homework well." Then she quickly sat down in front of Tan Min.
Master Tan smiled gently, "Have you finished your discussion, gentlemen?"
Fu Jun coughed lightly: "Well, we can talk about business now."
Since there is no way to avoid it, he just needs to be fully prepared to deal with Tan Min.
However, what happened next was slightly different from what he expected.
Tan Min was not aggressive at all, but rather very easy-going. Whether it was business trade or cultural exchange, everything was open to discussion.
One can even feel that the State of Zhou is prepared to give some benefits to the State of Qi.
This surprised Fu Yun greatly.
But Tan Min was more frank than he expected. Before he could speak, Lord Tan spoke first, "The world is bound to undergo many changes in the future. Qi and Zhou once coexisted because your country had fertile farmland and our country had skilled craftsmen. As long as each played to its strengths, they would surely be invincible. But things are different now. Commerce has become important. Wei will rise sooner or later. Bankui may seem like a small place, but judging by the importance the fairyland attaches to it, it will probably not be underestimated in the future. Not to mention the Barbarian Kingdom and the Dongji Kingdom... there's no guarantee that they won't rise one day."
Fu Yun agreed with this: "What you said is that, without considering other things, the new developments brought about by various new technologies alone are enough to make people vigilant."
Tan Min nodded and said, "We are still ahead now, but it is only because of our accumulated wealth and the bonuses brought by early contact with immortals. However, these bonuses will not last long. Sooner or later, we will be caught up."
Fu Yun looked at him: "Have you thought of a solution?"
Tan Min smiled and lowered his voice: "I once thought about relying on conquest to quickly annex the countries and completely cut off the possibility of being caught up."
Fu Yun: ???
You originally just wanted to take the exam in the same examination room, but you ended up planning to tear up everyone else's papers so that you could come in first?
As expected of you...
But Tan Min quickly said, "But this idea doesn't make sense. Although I've never asked the immortals for their opinions, I can sense that Langyun Fairyland hopes to see this world develop in peace and maintain relative balance, rather than being reduced to a scorched earth in the chaos of war. If we try to do that, I'm afraid Langyun will use immortal artifacts that we can't understand to stop us."
Fu Yun was puzzled: "How do you know?"
Tan Min said calmly, "According to the merchants in Wei State, an immortal once used a few small projectiles to create a huge wave on the sea, turning ferocious barbarians from bandits into harmless citizens who could sing and dance."
……Forehead.
With just one sentence, Fu Jun dispelled all his thoughts.
He also understood what Tan Min meant: "So you're thinking about our two countries joining forces?"
Lord Tan nodded first, then said, "But if you and I were to unite, it would inevitably cause panic among the surrounding small nations, so we must act more discreetly."
But Fu Yun thought about it and quickly said, "Not only that, we have to do something else."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"It's better to stay away from them openly. This way, you can avoid unnecessary communication and give others a sense of security. You just need to find the right balance."
This made Kong Zhang, who had been concentrating on his homework, look up and ask curiously, "What are you going to do?"
Fu Yun knew that the Zhou people liked to be straightforward and were not good at playing games, so she didn't hide anything at this moment and said frankly, "It's like doing one good thing and then doing one bad thing. Good things are put into practice and are conducive to development, while bad things are only on paper. It's okay to curse each other, just like the ownership of Fengwei Mountain where the immortals live. There is still no conclusion, so we can argue about it."
Tan Min immediately understood: "Young Master, you're right. Newspapers are now widely available. It would be a good idea to use them to argue with each other."
But Kong Zhang was a little worried: "But as time goes on, the truth will eventually be discovered."
Unexpectedly, Fu Yun smiled deeply and said slowly, "Don't worry, they won't say anything even if they find out. After all, what the monarchs of various countries are pursuing now is peace and prosperity for the country and the people. In other words, they want the people to feel safe so that they will work harder and let the nobles live a good life."
These words were extremely impolite and directly stripped the nobles of their skin.
As expected, after these words were spoken, Tan Min looked at Fu Jun twice more, wondering whether he should give him a red book.
Although we are from different countries, we can still find like-minded people.
Kong Zhang was puzzled. "Although we have no ill intentions, how can small nations feel safe with powerful nations around us?"
Fu Yun smiled and said, "There are two interpretations of a sense of security. One is a real sense of security, and the other is the belief that one is safe. Rumors can melt gold, and three people can make a tiger. As long as the people are fooled, the rulers of small countries will naturally choose to cover their ears and pretend to know nothing. Otherwise, would they dare to attack us first?"
Kong Zhang blinked his eyes, thought for a moment, and finally figured out the reason.
Then he looked at Fu Jun in amazement.
Gongzi Yun smiled calmly, waiting to hear the other party's praise.
As expected, Kong Zhang exclaimed in a tone of praise: "Wow, you are still bad!"
Fu Yun: ...
You kid, you deserve to have double the Chinese homework!
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