Ji Liang did not leave Bankui after all.
Because Teacher Bian could hear that the queen might not really like him. After all, the two of them had little contact, and Queen Banqui was not an ordinary person. It was impossible for her to fall in love with him just after meeting him a few times.
What that person wanted was probably just a "Son of God".
In other words, Ji was treated as a tool.
Even if Ji Liang is transferred back, they can definitely find another one...
So, sometimes, even gods have troubles.
Especially when you meet Her Majesty the Queen who doesn't play by the rules.
So Teacher Bian immediately had a phone call with Queen Banqui, fully explained his point of view, and refuted her other party's ideas about marriage and love.
Of course, the most useful one is the last one -
“If the king really means this, Langyun will definitely take the necessary measures.”
Teacher Bian didn’t say what this measure was. After all, as a school teacher, the only thing he could think of was to make the student stand up and write a self-criticism.
But when the indigenous people heard it, it was automatically replaced by lightning and thunder rising to the sky on the spot.
As for why the things he discussed privately with his confidants were known by immortals thousands of miles away, it could be automatically explained as the immortals being omnipotent.
So Queen Banqui quietly put away her dangerous thoughts.
While Ji Liang was still trembling with fear and trying to maintain his innocence, the queen was very frank and began to look for other candidates for her husband, which made Ji Liang feel relieved.
But Banqui first welcomed another happy event.
When the first cicada chirped, Donna and Fu Yun held their wedding, and the whole country of Qi celebrated.
Naturally, this matter also spread to the Zhou State.
In the Sixth Young Master's residence, Kong Zhang was completing his studies for the day.
It's just that he has been absent-minded since early morning and is always distracted when reading.
As his personal teacher, Tan Min was quite partial to him and gave him several chances. But when he saw this man staring out the window for the third time, Master Tan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he directly pulled out his ruler and slammed it hard on the table.
“Bang!”
The sound was so crisp and loud that it startled Kong Zhang.
He instinctively looked at the ruler in Tan Min's hand, and almost reflexively put his hands behind his back, covering his buttocks tightly, his mouth spoke before his brain: "I'm sorry, I was wrong, I didn't mean it!"
Tan Min smiled gently: "You are the master, and I am the subject. How can a master apologize to a subject?"
Kong Zhang pursed his lips, said nothing, and looked aggrieved.
Trying hard to look honest, I could only mutter in my heart:
What kind of minister are you? A minister who kneels down while I beat my butt?
Outrageous, but I dare not say it.
Fortunately, Tan Min didn't intend to use force this time. He leisurely put away the ruler and asked gently, "I've been distracted today. I haven't even memorized half of the Eight Honors and Eight Shames yet. I wonder what's bothering you, sir? Could you please tell me?"
Seeing that he had no intention of taking action, Kong Zhang sat back down and replied honestly, "I heard about the wedding of Prince Yun of Qi, and I'm a little curious."
Tan Min showed surprise: "Why, sir, you also want to get married?" As he said that, he looked him up and down, as if he didn't expect that the man in front of him, so young, would have such thoughts.
Kong Zhang blushed and said hastily, "No, I'm just curious about what appeared at his wedding."
Mr. Tan was unconcerned: "The wedding ceremonies on both sides are not much different. If you want to see it, you can just go through it yourself later."
But Kong Zhang grumbled, "But I heard from my father that when Fu Yun went to pick up the bride, she didn't ride an ordinary tall horse."
"What is that?"
"It seems to be... a means of transportation called a car."
As soon as these words were spoken, Tan Min's expression changed slightly.
Although Kong Zhang's mind was clear, he had lived in the palace for a long time and was very good at reading people's expressions. So he asked, "Why, Master, don't you know?"
Tan Min didn't shy away from saying, "I know that most of the news about Qi was collected by me before being passed on to Your Majesty."
In fact, another way to understand this sentence is that all the knowledge that King Zhou had about the State of Qi came from Tan Min.
This kind of information control is enough to make any superior fearful.
However, Kong Zhang had special trust in Tan Min, even though this handsome man in front of him would punish him by making him copy books and spanking him for no reason. However, the more this happened, the more he understood how much Tan Min valued him, and the more his loyalty to the Zhou Kingdom was demonstrated.
So at this moment, Gongzi Zhang did not show any strange expression, but instead looked curious: "So what were you thinking about just now?"
Tan Min smiled and said softly, "I am doing this for your pleasure."
"……ah?"
"The fact that Qi State owns cars is a top secret, but the king is willing to tell you, young master, which shows the king's trust in you."
There was still half of the sentence that Tan Min didn't say.
That is, the health of our king is not very good. Even though he has a noble status, he cannot escape the passage of time.
Those immortals from Langyun can live the same day every year, as if they can live forever, but mortals still have to face birth, old age, sickness and death.
Now that King Zhou trusts Kong Zhang and delegates power to him, he is actually making plans for the future.
However, Tan Min did not say these things. He needed a wise monarch, a king with a broad and bright mind who could care about all the people, so he had to try his best to avoid being contaminated by darkness.
Tan Min felt that the young master should learn more about what it means to be people-oriented and leave the scheming to him.
So, Mr. Tan smiled and said, "If you like cars, you can go with me to the industrial area on the outskirts of the city in a few days."
Kong Zhang was puzzled: "Where are we going and what are we doing?"
Tan Min said gently, "Qi State is making cars, and Zhou State is also making them. What's more, we are taking a step further than them. If theirs is the first generation version, then what we are about to try out is at least the third generation."
Kong Zhang couldn't sit still after hearing this. He straightened up, his eyes sparkling. "Can it also move without wind and run without being pulled by a carriage?"
Tan Min nodded: "Of course."
Kong Zhang cheered immediately, not only because he was happy to see the car, but also because he liked mechanical parts. He used to be excited for days just for a bicycle, and now that he knew he could see his own car running, he was naturally very excited.
When Mr. Tan saw him like this, he knew that he could not continue reading the book, so he simply gave the young master a holiday.
Kong Zhang immediately saluted, then jumped up and ran to the study. It seemed that he was going to spend the rest of his time studying the drawings and data.
Tan Min did not follow in, but packed up his things and left the Sixth Young Master's Mansion with his men.
As soon as I went out, I saw Zhong Zuo looking at me from under the tree opposite.
Today, Mr. Zhong Zuo is no longer dressed as a merchant as before, but is now dressed in official uniform, looking very impressive.
But those eyes still showed shrewdness and moved around, and it was obvious that he did not look like a scholar.
Zhong Zuo had never concealed the fact that he was promoted through "special recruitment". He was too lazy to imitate the behavior of those officials. Now he simply lifted up his robe and sat on the stone bench, fanning himself with his official hat in his hand, attracting the attention of passers-by.
Tan Min was mentally prepared when he decided to bring him into the officialdom, but he still felt helpless when he saw this man's monkey-like appearance.
So when Zhong Zuo came jogging over, the first thing Lord Tan said was, "Wear your hat properly when you go out next time. If I see you disobeying official rules like this again, I will not forgive you."
If someone else had been scolded like this by the prime minister, he would probably have fallen to the ground and begged for forgiveness.
But Zhong Zuo was completely focused on making money and running a business, a man who would have liked to spend every penny he had. Not only was he not afraid, but he actually looked excited: "Are you serious? Are you going to fire me?"
Tan Min sneered: "No, I will give you a promotion."
Zhong Zuo was confused.
Then Tan Min continued, "I'll let you go to the palace to be the chief steward. You only need to take a knife and you will be promoted to the third rank. Your monthly salary will be several times higher than it is now. Do you want to go?"
Zhong Zuo: ...
He quickly stood up, squeezed his legs together, and said repeatedly: "No, no, I'm fine now." As he said that, he put his official hat on his head and straightened his back.
They immediately evolved from monkeys into humans, evolving very quickly.
Tan Min wanted to scold him, but he also knew that this man was squatting outside waiting for him because he had something important to tell him, so he patiently asked, "You better really have something to tell me."
Zhong Zuo hurriedly said, "Something's going on." Then he took a few steps closer and whispered, "Something strange has been happening in the court lately."
Tan Min raised his eyebrows slightly: "What do you mean?"
Zhong Zuo lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear, "I heard someone whispering that the Lord has monopolized power and may be harboring rebellious intentions."
As soon as these words were spoken, Tan Min's brows furrowed.
He waved his hand, asking the people following him to move further away. Then, his fox-like eyes turned to Zhong Zuo: "You are just a new official. Where did you hear about this?"
Zhong Zuo smiled a little embarrassedly: "I love to eat, drink and play. As you all know, the more idle one is, the more likely one is to make bad friends."
The fact that he spoke so frankly about slacking off left Tan Min speechless for a moment.
Then Zhong Zuo continued, "Yesterday, someone dragged me over to their table and started talking about the Lord's right and wrong. They were saying that the Lord's power was too great and was hindering the king's authority. There was even a censor who said he would find a time to speak out and make a complaint."
He said it lightly, but Tan Min knew that if he could find out such things, it was probably not just a simple drinking and eating relationship.
So Tan Min narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "So, why did you tell me this?"
To alienate, to sow discord, or to eliminate dissidents?
Zhong Zuoyi puffed out his chest and said, "They are just snitching. All those guys put together are not as important as Mr. Tan. I am going to find a thick leg to hug."
...with full confidence and no power to refute.
So Tan Min changed his perspective: "So what do you think, is what they said true or false?"
This time, Zhong Zuo's expression was much more serious.
He thought about it for a moment before saying, "I don't know either. If it's true, I'll be a hero. If it's false, I can draw a clear line between myself and them in advance. Anyway, I won't lose anything."
…
Tan Min let out a breath and thought to himself that he would never directly promote a businessman to be an official again.
We still have to let them take the imperial examinations, at least they can read more.
Otherwise, it would be this kind of straight ball every time, which is really hard to cope with.
But because of Zhong Zuo's honesty, and the fact that he was now completely under Tan Min's control, Tan Min was also quite honest with him: "Don't worry, I have no intention of that position, and you don't have to worry about your life."
Zhong Zuo let out a faint sigh of relief, then smiled and said, "Your Excellency is indeed loyal."
Tan Min smiled, but didn't comment. He just said, "Do you know what else you will gain after becoming king, besides holding great power?"
Zhong Zuo shook his head honestly.
Tan Min said softly, "There are rules for eating and drinking. To prevent poisoning, the more you like a food, the less you can eat it. There are also rules for traveling. Basically, you can't leave the capital in your lifetime. Even when you sleep at night, marry a wife or take a concubine, there are people watching you. When you have sex, there are people outside listening in on you."
Zhong Zuo: …???
What is all this?
Does the royal family like to lock themselves away so much?
Zhong Zuo sighed: "Then why are there so many people vying for the throne?"
Tan Min said calmly, "That is the fate of these young masters. Besides, they probably don't know what kind of life they will face in the future."
At least the Sixth Young Master doesn’t know.
Children are just innocent and cute.
Tan Min laughed. Zhong Zuo looked at him and inexplicably felt that this man was really like a fox.
Just as beautiful, just as cunning.
...Well, resourceful.
Tan Min had no idea this person was secretly criticizing him. He raised his head slightly and spoke softly, "I've long since severed ties with the Tan family, and I've never thought about protecting my descendants. So I'll just live my life to the fullest. What's the point of being a king? Sooner or later, I'll be drowned by the vast ocean of the people anyway." He laughed as he spoke. "I've even thought that if the future king follows the example of his predecessors, they might dig me up after I die and whip my corpse to establish their authority. There's nothing wrong with that. I lived my life to the fullest, and that's enough."
Zhong Zuo did not answer, as there were too many words in this sentence that he did not understand.
He just doesn't understand what the word "people" means.
However, Zhong Langjun could sense that this was not something he could comment on, so he simply refrained from commenting. Instead, he said, "There is one more matter I would like to ask Your Excellency for your guidance."
"explain."
"The wine trade between the Zhou Kingdom and the Barbarian Kingdom is quite smooth. The wine produced by the Zhou Kingdom is very popular there, especially among the Barbarian nobles. They have even begun to force the Barbarian King to increase the trade volume."
"That's a good thing, what are you worried about?"
Zhong Zuo pursed his lips slightly, then lowered his voice and said, "Generally speaking, if a business is done too quickly and too well, it will arouse suspicion. In a few days, the Barbarian Kingdom will send its prince to the Zhou Kingdom. I am afraid that they have some evil intentions to do something bad."
I thought this was a matter of urgency, but unexpectedly, Tan Min's expression was calm, as if he had anticipated it. "A year is enough time for the Barbarian Kingdom to recover from the previous coup. Naturally, they'll be looking for something to do."
Zhong Zuo asked quietly, "What are you looking for?"
Tan Min replied, "They're simply stationing troops on the border, threatening us with force, coveting the grasslands, launching surprise attacks and harassing us, and using subtle tactics to force us to make concessions."
Zhong Zuo was shocked: "Master Tan is so foresighted. I admire you!"
Tan Min glanced at him and said calmly, "The urgent report from the border arrived three days ago. I just have a good memory."
Zhong Zuo: ...Oh, that’s okay.
However, Lord Tan obviously did not intend to let him go easily.
He said softly, "Although the swords of this dynasty cannot kill officials of the previous dynasty, and we also said during the previous peace talks that the past should be put aside, if they reach out this time, we cannot be blamed."
Zhong Zuo then asked, "Does the Barbarian Kingdom really dare?"
Tan Min said without hesitation, "Of course they dare. Even if their demands aren't excessive, they won't negotiate peacefully. Those who love to rob will never learn their lesson. They never know how to be aboveboard. Perhaps they're just used to it, and a business with no capital investment always attracts more profit."
"So, sir, do you mean to go to war?"
"What do you think?"
Zhong Zuo didn't say anything.
After all, Zhou is not his motherland, he is only interested in the business here.
If a war breaks out, the trade routes will be blocked, which is something he doesn't want to see.
However, it was only after he became an official that he got to know the Zhou State better, and realized how fast it was developing and how strong its military power was. It would be unrealistic to pretend nothing happened when being bullied.
Fortunately, Tan Min was not prepared to listen to Zhong Zuo's advice. He said to himself, "If no one offends me, I will not offend others. This is a motto. I don't want the mess of the Barbarian Kingdom to delay the development of the Great Zhou. Otherwise, we will be left behind by the Qi Kingdom and have more trouble in the future. So we must eliminate all dangerous thoughts in advance. Otherwise, if they really cause trouble, the people of Zhou will be so excited that they will not think about seeking development in a stable manner, but will just roll up their sleeves and fight a painful battle."
Zhong Zuo listened to what this person said and suddenly felt that Lord Tan was worthy of having been with the immortals for a long time.
There are so many fairy words and sayings.
But he quickly came to his senses and asked hurriedly, "What are your plans, sir?"
Tan Min had no intention of answering, but said, "The secret cannot be revealed, but I feel that Lord Zhong still values the trade route over there, is that right?"
Zhong Zuo nodded somewhat embarrassedly.
Then Tan Min said, "Then I suggest that you get some colorful silks and fans and send them to the Barbarian envoys when they arrive."
"Why is that?"
"Master Zhong, just send them off. This is a matter of life and death. They will definitely remember your kindness in the future."
Tan Min didn't say anything more, and left with his men leisurely.
Zhong Zuo was puzzled, but he didn't dare to ask more questions.
I was just thinking in my mind, the weather is getting hot, so it’s okay to prepare a fan, but what’s the point of preparing colorful silk?
Barbarians shouldn't be into cross-dressing...
They say it’s a matter of life and death, but is it really meant to be hung from a beam or by one’s neck?
When Zhong Zuo returned to his sedan chair, the servant came forward and deftly opened the curtain for him.
Zhong Zuo saw that the person in front of him was his confidant who had been following him all along, so he ordered, "Go buy a fan first, then go to the silk shop and get some colorful cloth." He paused, "Get some white silk as well, remember to get something sturdy."
The servant was shocked: "My dear... no, my lord, you have been slacking off all these days as an official, and finally got discovered by Lord Tan? But does slacking off mean you have to be hanged?!"
This price is too heavy!
Zhong Zuo was furious and knocked the man on the head: "Shut up, this is not prepared for me, I am also preparing for both situations."
The servant covered his head in confusion: "What's that for?"
Zhong Zuo thought to himself, how would I know? Tan Min didn’t tell him either!
But his face was full of profoundness, and he used the words he had just learned: "The secret of heaven cannot be revealed."
After saying that, he got into the sedan chair, leaving the servants with a puzzled look in their heads.
Soon, ten days passed.
Early that morning, Kong Zhang dressed and went out, yawning as he got into the carriage.
In the carriage, was Tan Min waiting with a smile.
Gongzi Zhang first bowed, then fell asleep on his teacher's legs.
After an unknown amount of time, Tan Min gently pushed him.
Kong Zhang was woken up and was about to lose his temper, but when he saw the ring on the man's hand, he remembered his identity.
His sleepy head immediately cleared up, and the young master quickly put on a well-behaved appearance, rubbing his eyes and sitting up, and whispered, "Master, what are we going to do?"
Tan Min said gently, "I promised to take you to see the car."
Kong Zhang paused, lowered his hands, and his eyes lit up surprisingly: "Is the car finished?"
Tan Min replied, "It's been built a long time ago, but because it hasn't been safety tested, I didn't dare to take it out for you to test drive. Now everything is going well, you can go and take a look."
Kong Zhang immediately became excited and grabbed Tan Min's sleeve to continue asking questions.
At this moment, a strange sound came from outside.
"Buzz buzz buzz."
The noise sounded like some machine operating, much smaller than that of an ordinary steam engine.
But it was still very obvious in the quiet morning.
Kong Zhang immediately lifted the curtain and looked out, and saw something passing by quickly.
It looked like a black thing, but because it just passed by, he couldn't see clearly what it looked like.
But the white smoke coming out from behind this thing can be seen clearly.
These white things made Kong Zhang a little dazed.
After a long while, he murmured, "No wonder this thing can move without wind. So that's how it works."
Tan Min had seen cars moving before, so he didn't find it strange at the moment. Instead, he wanted to ask, "Sir, what do you think is the reason?"
I made up my mind that as a liberal arts student, I probably wouldn't be able to understand the explanation of the young master, an engineering student.
But in order to maintain his dignity as a teacher, he was prepared to express his approval of whatever the other party said to show encouragement and act as a ruthless nodding machine.
Then Kong Zhang said, "Look, isn't it obvious that the immortals must have plucked the clouds from the sky and placed them underneath. That's how it can freeze and perhaps even reach the sky!"
Tan Min: Hmm...hmm?
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