Yan Xiaolou looked up at Fu Xiaoguan, wondering how he would answer.
Yan Xiwen frowned and thought, wondering how he would answer if his grandfather asked him.
Fu Xiaoguan also restrained his expression and became serious, thinking that leeks are indeed unlucky in any era.
He did not expect Yan Beixi to ask this question. This was not about the relationship between leeks and weeds, but was about the current political situation.
He did not try to guess what answer Yan Beixi wanted. After a few breaths, he spoke.
"Mencius, Gaozi (Part 1) says, 'Fish is what I desire, and bear's paw is also what I desire; if I cannot have both, I will choose to give up fish for bear's paw.' This was Mencius's choice. As for the question from the Minister of Yan, I think if the soil in that patch is already poor, it would be better to leave it alone. Wait until the winter solstice, when a heavy snow falls, and the vegetables and weeds are gone, but all the grass has become fertilizer, improving the soil. But if the soil is already fertile... then slowly weed it. While it may damage the leeks, that's unavoidable, but the end result is good; the remaining leeks will grow stronger."
This speech was quite elaborate. He started with the question of fish and bear's paw, which showed the relationship between making choices and giving up. It meant that even a saint could only choose one of them, so you, Yan Zai, could only make a choice as well.
The court is now extremely corrupt, and Your Majesty has obviously made a choice. As the prime minister, second only to the emperor, I naturally need to follow Your Majesty's footsteps and make the right choices.
The fact that the soil in that patch of land was barren meant that if the country's strength was weak, it would be better to leave it alone. This statement was actually quite outrageous, because if it was left alone, a heavy snow would wipe out the grass and vegetables, which would mean the decline of the Yu Dynasty.
Obviously, this is absolutely not advisable.
But this is a fact, just like an old tree that has long been rotten and its roots have rotted away. Even if you want to save it, it is impossible to save it. You can only watch it fall and then watch new trees grow.
Fu Xiaoguan didn't know whether Yu Chao was terminally ill or not, but Yan Beixi must have known, so he told it anyway. It all depended on Yan Beixi's own choice.
Yan Xiaolou thought about it carefully and didn't quite understand what Fu Xiaoguan meant. She filled four cups of tea and handed them to her grandfather and Fu Xiaoguan. She looked at her grandfather. At this moment, Yan Beixi's expression was also very serious.
Yan Xiwen glanced at Fu Xiaoguan and thought that this guy was quite courageous. If it were him, he would definitely choose to remove the weeds.
As for the soil...we all live in this soil, so let's find ways to improve it slowly.
After a long time, Yan Beixi nodded and did not comment on what Fu Xiaoguan said.
"In the spring, I raised many fish in the pond, and then planted lotus roots and lots of aquatic plants, hoping the fish would live happily. But then a few cats came and took advantage of the time when no one was paying attention to catch the fish, so the fish became fewer and fewer. For the sake of the fish, I raised a dog, hoping the dog would chase the cats away, but... the cat and dog are actually in cahoots!"
"Let me ask you, should we chase away the cat or the dog?"
What the hell! Fu Xiaoguan touched his nose again and felt that the Prime Minister should become a monk and would definitely become a great monk.
If you have anything to say, why don’t you just say it directly?
You have to come up with this kind of witty remarks. Answering this kind of question is really tiring, okay!
This means the situation that the Yu Dynasty is facing now.
The Yu Dynasty is this pond, the cats represent the other countries surrounding the Yu Dynasty, and the dogs represent the army of the Yu Dynasty.
It seems that there were also problems with the Yu Dynasty's army. Not only did they fail to defend the country, they even colluded with other countries' forces to erode the interests of the Yu Dynasty.
So Fu Xiaoguan didn't answer but leaned over and asked seriously, "Is it really that serious?"
"Not really."
That means it's a bit serious.
Fu Xiaoguan frowned, took a sip from his teacup, and said bluntly, "When I beat a dog, I never look at its owner. What do you think, Yan Zai?"
That means beating the dog first!
Yan Beixi smiled without comment. These words did not give him any face. This kid was very direct. No wonder His Majesty wanted to use him as a sword. It was indeed sharp, but too hard and easy to break. In his opinion, this was not a good thing.
But on second thought, the Yu Dynasty was so big, with tens of thousands of officials. If it could not cut the Gordian knot and eliminate all dangers quickly, once it fell into a deadlock, then the Yu Dynasty would be in real danger.
As a vested interest in Dayu, Yan Beixi certainly does not want any problems to arise in the Yu Dynasty, but at the same time, he also does not want the interests of the Yan clan to suffer too much damage.
He had a clear understanding of His Majesty's strategy, understanding that this year was a crucial one. His Majesty was determined to rectify the government. A thorough investigation of disaster relief corruption and the opportunity to sever the outreach of various factions was merely the first step. The next step... would inevitably take place within the court.
As for why His Majesty executed those criminals without trial, Yan Beixi saw it clearly.
The border troops are unstable!
Especially the Eastern Border Army!
And the commander of the Eastern Frontier Army happened to be Yan Beixi's third son, Yan Haochu!
If Your Majesty wants to put the government in order, you must first stabilize the border troops. The result will naturally be either to replace the general or... execute the general.
Yan Beixi must make a decision on this.
He had only one way out, which was to voluntarily hand over the tiger talisman of the commander-in-chief of the eastern border army to ensure Yan Haochu's safety.
This was the method Yan Beixi was most reluctant to take, but he had no choice.
The position of commander-in-chief of the Eastern Border Army was obtained by the Yan clan at a huge cost and after a long period of planning. Now he has to hand it over. Yan Beixi is extremely unwilling to accept it.
Just when he was lost in thought, Fu Xiaoguan spoke.
"Since the Prime Minister has asked me two questions, I would also like to ask you a question."
Yan Beixi raised his eyes to look at Fu Xiaoguan, who said calmly, "I'm just giving an example. Your Excellency, please don't think too much about it. It's said that one day, General Yan, the commander of the Eastern Frontier Army, led his troops to fight against the Red Feather Army of the Yi Kingdom on Xima Plain..."
Yan Beixi frowned suddenly.
Fu Xiaoguan was unconcerned and continued, "The battle was raging, with the outcome uncertain. At that moment, Bei Wangchuan of the Wu Dynasty shot General Yan from a distance. The arrow struck General Yan's right arm, and it was poisoned. The generals begged General Yan to return to the city to recuperate, but General Yan, concerned about the urgency of the battle, remained on the battlefield until several days later, when the Yi army was defeated and retreated from Ximayuan."
Yan Beixi's old eyes were fixed on Fu Xiaoguan, and his gaze was so sharp that the heater in the room seemed to have lost its effect.
Yan Xiwen was shocked and Yan Xiaolou was very anxious.
They had never seen Grandpa with such a fierce expression.
Fu Xiaoguan seemed oblivious. He continued, "After returning to the city in triumph, General Yan summoned the doctor. After examining him, the doctor asked General Yan a question."
"The doctor is asking: This poison has already taken hold. There are two options for treatment. One is to scrape the bone to remove the poison. This will be very painful and will linger for a long time, but the benefit is that the right arm is preserved. The other is to amputate the right arm. This will only hurt briefly, but it will be difficult to be without a hand. So, what is your choice, General?"
Fu Xiaoguan met Yan Beixi's gaze without backing down.
"Then may I ask the Prime Minister, how will the Prime Minister choose?"
Yan Beixi suddenly smiled, and the sharpness in his eyes disappeared. He took a deep breath, took a sip of the teacup, and looked out the window.
The sun is shining outside the window and the plum blossoms are in full bloom.
"My granddaughter, Yan Xiaolou, came of age yesterday and is not yet engaged."
Yan Beixi did not answer Fu Xiaoguan, but said this inexplicably.
Yan Xiaolou blushed immediately, but Fu Xiaoguan was shocked.
He took a deep breath, but before he could say anything, Yan Beixi changed the subject, "The Secretariat is currently short of a Counselor, and the Privy Council, which is in charge of military affairs, is also short of a Censor. Both are fourth-rank officials, but they hold real power and are considered to have truly entered the core of the Yu Dynasty."
He stood up, put his hands behind his back and walked out, saying as he walked: "A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. You are a wise man. I hope to get your answer before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
The old man with the big knife on his back only looked up at Fu Xiaoguan at this moment. Of course, Fu Xiaoguan also looked at him.
The two people's eyes met in the air. Although no sparks were seen, Fu Xiaoguan clearly felt a sharp murderous intent.
The old man with a knife on his back followed Yan Beixi out. Wen Yuexuan became quiet, with only the occasional crackling sound of the charcoal fire in the stove.
After a long moment, Yan Xiwen shook his head and said, "You shouldn't use my Third Uncle as an example."
Fu Xiaoguan nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't tell Yan Xiwen. Some things can only be faced squarely by a grandfather like him, as they require a deep and painful experience.
Of course, the example given by Fu Xiaoguan has a deeper meaning.
In the first year of the Xuanli reign, Qin Tong's troops from the eastern border fought a battle with the Red Feather Legion of the Yi Kingdom at Ximayuan. According to Bai Yulian, after they broke out of the siege, they were resting at the border of the Yu Dynasty. However, Qin Tong was shot dead by Bei Wangchuan, a martial saint of the Wu Dynasty.
Bai Yulian explained that it was Grand Tutor Fei who, after traveling to the capital, used the Sun-Breaking Divine Bow to persuade Bei Wangchuan to defeat Qin Tong, declaring that the battle a crushing defeat. The Eastern Frontier Army was subsequently reorganized, with former commander Fei Bang entering the imperial court as Minister of War, while Yan Beixi's third son, Yan Haochu, became commander-in-chief of the Eastern Frontier Army.
The second meaning of Fu Xiaoguan's question was that he wanted to see whether Yan Beixi had any influence on Qin Tong's death, because no matter how one looked at it, the Yan clan benefited the most from that incident.
This is just clearing the grass, and Fu Xiaoguan doesn't know whether it will scare the snake.
He only knew that this was very risky. This was not a small snake, it was a giant python!
But he still asked this question because he knew that His Majesty would definitely want him to do so. However, he did not expect Yan Beixi to extend an olive branch to him again, and it was extremely tempting.
He looked at Yan Xiaolou. To be honest, this girl was really a stunner.
But he didn't dare to accept the olive branch extended by Yan Beixi because it was poisonous.
It might even be highly poisonous!
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