Chapter 203 Zheng Bo Ke Duan Yu Yan
"Senior Brother, I still don't quite understand why Empress Wei would do this."
"She was the one who deposed the emperor herself, and then demoted the Xunyang Prince's family to commoners. Her attitude was so resolute. She even told the palace servants that she and her son were severing ties and would never see each other again."
"Empress Wei despised the deposed emperor's family the most, and for the past ten years or so, she has ignored them completely, a fact known to all."
Xie Lingjiang was full of doubt, disregarding whether her words might sound too harsh to some people. She looked at Ouyang Rong with a complicated expression and said:
"But how come when it comes to the eldest brother, he becomes a so-called scheming backup plan, and even wants to grant the deposed Xunyang Prince the title of heir apparent?"
"This sudden change of heart is simply too outrageous. Putting aside personal likes and dislikes, does the Empress Wei have no regard for her dignity and face by breaking her promise?"
Ouyang Rong, who was about to leave, chuckled and shook his head when he saw his junior sister's reaction, and sat down again.
"Junior sister, why don't you go ask the teacher?"
Ouyang Rong picked up the teacup, took a small sip, frowned slightly, and glanced down at the tea.
"Let me do it, Senior Brother."
Xie Lingjiang immediately stepped forward, gently taking the teacup. She stood gracefully before Ouyang Rong, obediently pouring the tea, and sat opposite him. Her fair hand adorned her pointed chin, and she looked at him intently, saying:
"I still want to hear what my eldest brother has to say. Besides, maybe even Father doesn't quite understand. After all, what my eldest brother says is quite shocking."
Xie Lingjiang paused, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, and tilted her head to serve tea to Ouyang Rong, saying crisply:
"Senior Brother, it's not that no one thought the deposed emperor's family might still have a chance, it's not that no one tried to help them, but then Empress Wei's attitude, and more than ten years of indifference, and they were demoted to commoners and lost their eligibility to compete."
"Even the most obscure and neglected family wouldn't be treated like this. Even the Wei family, who were best at understanding the Empress's thoughts, couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the former Prince Xunyang's family anymore. Later, only the most conservative and old-fashioned ministers among the pro-establishment officials would occasionally take care of that family. It can be said that they have completely lost power and been eliminated from the court."
Ouyang Rong suddenly pointed to a bookshelf not far away, filled with a dazzling array of history books, and said:
"Junior sister, have you been reading history more often lately?"
Xie Lingjiang was taken aback, but still answered truthfully, "I used to read it often when I was in Bailudong, but I don't read it often now."
"It's still best to look at it from time to time. You have to chew on this kind of historical stuff for a lifetime."
Ouyang Rong picked up his teacup but didn't drink the tea. His eyes were fixed on the bookshelf as he calmly said:
"I've been having a lot of free time lately, so I've been reading history a lot. I opened the Zuo Zhuan (Commentary of Zuo) on the Spring and Autumn Annals, and there was an article in it that I couldn't help but read again and again."
Qi practitioners originated in the pre-Qin period. During that time, Qi practitioners were not yet prominent, so the history of the pre-Qin period, including the various schools of thought, remained as active as ever, and there were not many changes in Ouyang Rong's memory.
The Zuo Zhuan remains a Confucian classic, and Xie Lingjiang, as a scholar who reads Confucian texts, must have read it.
Ouyang Rong didn't lie to his junior sister. In the months since he woke up in the underground palace, he had indeed been frequently reading history books in an attempt to understand the differences between the two worlds. However, he also saw a lot of familiar history.
Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, "Oh? Which one is it that even the busy senior brother can't forget?"
Ouyang Rong said softly, "Duke Zheng defeated Duan at Yan."
"Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeated Duan at Yan." Xie Lingjiang chuckled. "Isn't this the first chapter of the Zuo Zhuan? Senior Brother, you've been reading it over and over again. Were you always distracted, only turning to the first page each time you picked it up?"
"Oh, my junior sister really understands me."
Ouyang Rong also smiled broadly, but then his expression suddenly turned serious, and his tone abruptly changed:
"Lady Jiang of Zheng favored her youngest son, Shu Duan, from a young age and disliked her other son, Duke Zhuang. She wanted to take Duke Zhuang's place. After Duke Zhuang ascended the throne, he repeatedly indulged his younger brother, which led Shu Duan to become increasingly arrogant and domineering. In the end, this aroused public indignation, and Duke Zhuang sent troops to attack him. He defeated Shu Duan at Yan and forced him to flee."
After the rebellion was quelled, Duke Zhuang settled Lady Jiang in Chengying and swore that he would never see her again until he reached the Yellow Springs. However, he soon regretted his oath. Fearing that he would break his vow and be ridiculed, he dug a tunnel leading to the spring, which was the Yellow Springs.
"Then a house was built in the tunnel, and someone was sent to fetch Lady Jiang. Mother and son met and wept bitterly. Historical records say that mother and son recovered completely."
Ouyang Rong chuckled and turned to say:
"In just over seven hundred words, it tells the story of a brother who is not a brother, a younger brother who is not a younger brother, a mother who is not a mother, a ruler who is not a ruler, and a subject who is not a subject. It is named after the Duke of Zheng who defeated Duan at Yan. The story of the relationship between the two brothers is told with the word 'defeat'. What a wonderful style of writing, what a profound meaning in a concise and subtle way."
"The historians really put a lot of effort into writing this; later generations of Confucian scholars who value loyalty, filial piety and etiquette must have a headache reading this part of history."
After Ouyang Rong finished speaking with laughter, the room, both inside and outside, was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Xie Lingjiang paused for a moment, then asked, "Why is Senior Brother suddenly talking to me about this? Could it be... an analogy? Who is Duke Zhuang compared to, who is Uncle Duan compared to, and who is Lady Jiang compared to..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"It doesn't matter how you match the numbers to yourself. What's important is, junior sister, haven't you figured it out yet? Duke Zhuang of Zheng was a hegemon in the Spring and Autumn Period, and he was impeccable in imperial power politics. But how did he treat his own family?"
"If Junior Sister had understood Zheng Bo Ke Duan Yu Yan, she wouldn't have asked me that question. This is a royal family affair that happened a thousand years ago, tsk tsk."
For a moment, Xie Lingjiang's expression turned stern:
"After what my senior brother said, I also think that this article is indeed exquisite in every word and worth reading carefully."
Ouyang Rong asked with a smile, "There is a sentence in this article that is the most vivid and flavorful. It is my favorite. Do you know which sentence it is, Junior Sister?"
Xie Lingjiang frowned, but this time she didn't ask any more questions. She went to the bookshelf, took out a copy of "Zuo Zhuan", and returned to her seat.
She glanced down at the paper, and being naturally intelligent and quick-witted with a photographic memory, she quickly picked up a pen, wrote a sentence on the paper, placed two fingers on the table, and gently pushed it out.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and glanced at the scene.
Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish; let's wait and see!
This is what Duke Zhuang said to those around him after he had used a strategy of feigning indifference to lure his younger brother, Shu Duan, whom he considered "outrageous to both gods and men."
"Senior Brother?" Xie Lingjiang looked at Ouyang Rong with bright eyes, her gaze seeking confirmation.
"This sentence is also wonderful, revealing Duke Zhuang's little thoughts... but it's not this one."
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, then reached out and took the pen from Xie Lingjiang's hand. Xie Lingjiang obediently and diligently ground the ink and laid out the paper for him.
The pen still held the lingering warmth of his junior sister's sweaty palm, but Ouyang Rong paid no attention. He silently wrote a single sentence, then put down his pen and drank his tea.
Xie Lingjiang leaned closer, her delicate eyebrows arching, and her small, white teeth parted slightly:
"So, mother and son were reconciled?"
She groggily looked up and muttered:
"Why is this the last sentence of the story? Doesn't this sentence simply mean that after all the chaos the mother and son went through, they reconciled and were as close as ever? It's a perfectly normal ending. Does Senior Brother like this kind of tender and affectionate ending from an imperial family?"
Ouyang Rong's smile remained unchanged: "Mother and son as before? What was the initial relationship between Duke Zhuang and his mother, Lady Jiang, like?"
Xie Lingjiang's open pink lips froze, speechless. After a long while, she finally stammered:
"What a wonderful word '初' (chu, meaning 'beginning'). In the beginning, they disliked each other... If it weren't for the senior brother's reminder, I would have almost missed this point."
Ouyang Rong slowly sipped his tea, while Xie Lingjiang bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and pondered the taste.
There was a long silence between the two students.
Xie Lingjiang said earnestly:
"Senior Brother, I believe Empress Wei is capable of doing such a thing. The so-called mother-son severance and never seeing each other again is indeed not an obstacle in the imperial family. There are ways to get around it. As long as she can achieve her goal, she can even find loopholes in the law. So what if she is a commoner?"
She couldn't help but sigh, realizing that she, who had always been innocent and pure, was beginning to understand the rules of this power game.
Ouyang Rong nodded.
"Actually, these are things that your teacher should have taught you."
“It’s alright, Senior Brother is the same.” Xie Lingjiang suddenly looked up, then looked down again, and whispered, “Besides… I listen to Senior Brother’s words more easily.”
You don't like what your father says, do you...? Ouyang Rong shook his head speechlessly, his smile gentle, and asked as he sipped his tea:
"Does Junior Sister have any other questions?"
"No, senior brother, please continue. I... want to hear more."
Xie Lingjiang was filled with respect and poured tea for Ouyang Rong with utmost deference, speaking softly with lowered eyes.
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes and slowly said:
"Now that my junior sister understands that the current emperor and Duke Zhuang of Zheng are the same type of ruler, and understands her desire for power, then the following events are easy to explain."
Let's start by briefly going through the basics.
"The Wei family was originally an important pillar of power for the current emperor in establishing the Great Zhou Dynasty. Over the years, they have done all the dirty and hard work."
"However, in His Majesty's eyes, the Wei family cannot be too powerful. In accordance with the art of the emperor, a balancer needs to be established in the court to make the Wei family more loyal and at the same time easy to control. This is why His Majesty chose to keep that Prince Xiang in the deep palace of the capital."
"Over the years, the ministers who have been protecting Li Gan have always been guarding His Highness Prince Xiang, who voluntarily abdicated, and His Highness Prince Xiang, who has now changed his surname to Wei, who was vying with the Prince of Wei of the Wei clan for the position of heir apparent."
"As far as the current emperor is concerned, Prince Xiang not only obediently changed his surname to Wei, but also had the deed of voluntarily abdicating the throne. He is relatively easy to control and can be used to subdue the civil officials who already harbor resentment towards the current emperor, while also silencing the gossip of the people."
"For more than a decade, the two factions have been fighting without breaking apart in the newly established court of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but in recent years the situation has become increasingly serious... This was the basic situation of the court before, and Junior Sister should know it better than I do."
At this point, Ouyang Rong glanced at Xie Lingjiang. In fact, his mentor Xie Xun and his junior sister belonged to the latter category. They had always sympathized with that Prince Xiang, and their stance was self-evident.
Sure enough, Xie Lingjiang said with a sigh:
"I knew it, but I never imagined that all of this was part of Empress Wei's scheme."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but shake his head:
"But even the gentlest sheep can turn into a tiger one day."
"As my junior sister has said before, the rebellion in Yingzhou damaged the current emperor's prestige. The Wei family is directly responsible for the rebellion. After this incident, unless there are major changes, the Wei family has lost the ability to help the emperor maintain his power and even covet the throne."
"In other words, it is very difficult for the Wei family to preserve the great Zhou dynasty. It seems that Prince Wei Jisi will not be able to inherit the throne. Why did this eldest prince of the Wei family have to choose such a name? Now he is missing out on everything he has chosen."
He chuckled softly, his voice echoing in the study. Since his junior sister was there, no one could easily get close to eavesdrop. Ouyang Rong was quite uninhibited and dared to say anything bold. Today, he no longer pretended to be confused and didn't want to be the riddle-maker anymore!
Not far behind him, a beaded curtain swayed slightly in the breeze that seemed to seep in through the open window of the inner room.
Ouyang Rong paid no attention to these trivial details and said in a calm tone:
"However, His Majesty is now quite old, and Prince Xiang and his supporters are increasingly likely to join forces to threaten His Majesty's power and even force him off the throne."
"Emperor Taizong demonstrated some things at Xuanwu Gate, killing his brother and forcing his father to abdicate. How long ago were those events? Has the current emperor forgotten them?"
"Senior Brother, this..."
Xie Lingjiang listened with trepidation, leaning back slightly, while Ouyang Rong spoke louder and louder, leaning forward and staring straight at her:
"Therefore I say that His Majesty must make use of that idle talent and start paving the way to bring the deposed Prince Xunyang and his family back to the capital."
"The lineage of Prince Xunyang, Li Xian, is even purer than that of Prince Xiang, Li Lun! This is because Emperor Gaozong chose Prince Li Xian as his heir before his death!"
"Once the Li family is welcomed back to the capital, due to their pure legal lineage, a portion of the pro-Li faction will definitely gravitate towards them and divide them. Li Lun has been in the capital for many years, and there is also a group of pro-Li faction members who have already placed their bets around him. In this way, the powerful pro-Li faction in the court will be successfully split!"
"The Li family can play a huge role in restraining the Xiangwang Li Lun family. Moreover, Li Xian is the elder brother, so His Highness the Xiangwang can only greet him with a smile and has nothing to say. He even has to give up the position of heir apparent. This is the suppression of the legitimate succession."
"Because they were welcomed back by the current emperor through his own grace, the Li family can only be grateful to the current emperor and take the initiative to protect them. Moreover, the Li family has been exiled for more than ten years and is completely unfamiliar with the court and the public. For the current emperor, they are very easy to control and easy to mold. She can use them as leverage to bring the court back into her control."
Xie Lingjiang lowered her head and drank tea frequently, trying to hide her surprise and doubt.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked, "Junior Sister, I only have one question for you: if the deposed Emperor Li Xian and his family return to Luoyang, which side would you and Master choose?"
Xie Lingjiang remained silent for a long time before shifting her gaze and saying, "As long as the final imperial heir is of the Li clan bloodline, I will support it... In addition, the Wei clan must be destroyed. The sins they have committed over the years must be repaid in blood!"
Ouyang Rong chuckled and shook his head.
"What are you laughing at, Senior Brother?" Xie Lingjiang glared, her tone unconsciously carrying a hint of coquettishness.
"Junior Sister is still a bit naive."
Ouyang Rong gently shook his head: "As the losers in the struggle for the throne, the Wei family does indeed face the risk of being completely purged, but after all, they are an important support for the Emperor's throne, and they are also his maternal family..."
"They won't fall easily. Welcoming back the Li Xian family will also help ease the conflict between the Li and Wei families. After all, the Li Xian family doesn't have much of a grudge against the Wei family."
"How can this be? All that fighting before was for nothing!" Xie Lingjiang slammed her hand on the table and stood up.
"That's why I said, it's not a question of who wins between the two sides, but whether His Majesty wins big, medium, or small."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and muttered, "By then, His Majesty will also have to start preparing for his next move."
"Is there another move?" Xie Lingjiang asked, her eyes wide.
Ouyang Rong sipped his tea and remained silent.
Xie Lingjiang poked his forearm with her finger and asked expectantly, "Senior Brother, tell me quickly, how can the Wei Clan be destroyed?"
Ouyang Rong sighed, "That's all I can say for now. The rest may not be accurate. These trends... are enough for your family to mitigate risks."
"Senior Brother!" Xie Lingjiang felt itchy and restless, as if a monkey was scratching at her. There seemed to be some hurried wind coming from the inner room behind her, and the beaded curtain was swaying.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but turn his head, and Xie Lingjiang immediately tensed up...
(orz First day of abstaining from pornography)
(End of this chapter)
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